Lamb Mince / Ground Lamb

Name: Lamb mince, called ground lamb in North America — minced lamb, with a rich, distinctive flavour, used in shepherd's pie, kebabs, koftas, burgers, meatballs, moussaka and curries. It is usually fattier than beef mince.

Description

Minced lamb is the traditional filling for shepherd's pie (cottage pie uses beef), and the basis of Middle Eastern kofta and kibbeh, Greek keftedes and moussaka, Turkish adana kebab, and Indian keema. It has a stronger, sweeter flavour than beef and pairs well with cumin, coriander, mint, garlic, cinnamon and chilli.

Lamb mince can be quite fatty, often 15 to 25%, so draining fat after browning is useful, and leaner mince is available. Like all mince, it needs thorough cooking, because the bacteria on the surface are mixed through.

Main nutrition value

Lamb is a rich source of high-quality protein, highly absorbable iron, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and niacin, and contains more fat than chicken, mostly in a layer around the cut. Lamb mince is often high in fat, so lean versions and draining the fat help.

How best to be consumed

Lamb mince is cooked through, and the fat is drained.

1. Cook to 71°C, until no pink remains, and use a thermometer.
2. Brown in a hot pan, and drain off excess fat before adding other ingredients.
3. Mix with onion, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs or grated vegetables for koftas, meatballs and burgers.
4. Combine with lentils, aubergine or mushrooms to add fibre and reduce fat.
5. Keep raw mince cold, and use within a day or two, or freeze it.

Overconsumption could cause…

Lamb mince is healthy in moderation, with care over fat and cooking.

1. Food poisoning (E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter) from undercooked meat, especially minced meat and burgers where bacteria are mixed all the way through, so cook mince to 71°C and use a thermometer.
2. Higher risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer with regular high intake of red meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as probably carcinogenic, so many health bodies advise keeping red meat to about 350 to 500 g (cooked weight) a week.
3. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
4. Iron overload in people with haemochromatosis, an inherited condition, since the haem iron in red meat and offal is well absorbed.
5. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.

GroupsLamb and GoatMammals (red meat)High proteinLow sodiumRich in zincFresh

Related foodsLamb ShoulderLamb LegLamb ShankLamb ChopLamb RackGoat Curry Cuts

Wikipedia — Ground meat, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground_meat