You don’t need to wait for a holiday to serve lamb. This tender, tasty meat makes a great meal for any occasion. When cooked to medium rare, it is flavorful and mild, so anyone who enjoys roast beef will probably also enjoy lamb.

Lamb is popular in Central Oregon year-round, according to area grocery stores. There isn’t a seasonal increase around the holidays, said Randy Yochum, director of perishables at Newport Avenue Market in Bend.

Technically, lamb is the meat from sheep that are less than 1 year old. “Spring lamb” usually comes from sheep from 3 to 5 months old, while “baby lamb” is from milk-fed lambs from 6 to 8 weeks old, according to “The Food Lover’s Companion” by Sharon Tyler and Ron Herbst. The younger the lamb, the more tender the meat. When shopping, look to the color to guide your selection; the darker the color, the older the lamb and the tougher the meat will be, according to the Herbsts.

The other red meat

Lamb is considered a red meat and is healthy, delicious and tender, said Michael Hammer, meat department associate at Whole Foods in Bend. Lamb contains very little marbling (internal fat throughout the meat) compared with other meats. It is usually available in a variety of different cuts, Hammer said, including the shoulder, rack, shank/breast, loin and leg. The meat can also be ground to make burgers, meatloaf or sauces.

Rich history

People have been eating lamb for thousands of years. Sheep have long been a dietary staple as well as a textile source in Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

During the Middle Ages, farmers learned that sheep constituted one of the most productive crops, providing meat, wool for clothing, skins for parchment and milk for butter and cheese.

“Traditionally, if you made a meal with lamb, that was very symbolic,” Hammer said. “You were sacrificing a young sheep that could grow up and produce meat, wool and breeding stock. If you welcomed someone into the tribe or community with a meal of lamb, that was very special.”

Healthy choice

For people intending to eat more healthy food, lamb is a good choice, Hammer said.

“Lamb has about the fat content as bison and in some cuts almost as much as pork,” he said. “But the fat is easily trimmed off.”

The cost of lamb depends on cut, quality and origin. Locally, costs range from about $14.99 per pound for a seasoned rack of New Zealand spring lamb, $7.99 per pound for a marinated leg of lamb, to about $5 to $6 per pound for lesser cuts. Ground lamb starts at about $5.99 per pound.

Spring lamb sold in Central Oregon generally comes from New Zealand, Yochum said. Regionally raised lamb is available from Imperial Stock Ranch in Shaniko.

Lamb is a good source of protein, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 4 ounces of lamb meat provides more than 60 percent of an adult male’s recommended daily allowance for protein. In addition, lamb is a good source of zinc, which is important for a healthy immune system. A 4-ounce serving of lamb contains 38.3 percent of the recommended daily allowance for zinc.

Despite the great nutritional value, per capita consumption of lamb in the United States is about eight-tenths of a pound per year, according to http://sheep101.info. New Zealand has the highest consumption per capita, with 57 pounds per year, followed by Australia, with 30 pounds.

Cooking options

If you’re trying lamb for the first time, Hammer suggests getting a rack of lamb (a roast of ribs and attached meat) and grilling it.

“Cook it until it is still slightly rare,” he advises. “Then split the ribs, and you’ll end up with what looks like popsicles.”

Another option for those new to lamb is to try a boneless, or butterflied, leg roast.

But when it comes to enjoying lamb, Yochum said, it seems as though consumers end up with some strong opinions.

“Some of the Korean War veterans, or the people from that age group who served in the military during the 1950s and ’60s, won’t even try lamb,” Yochum said. “They were fed a lot of mutton in Korea, which came from the older adult sheep, and it was supposedly pretty bad. But people who try lamb usually say it’s mild. It seems like you either love lamb or don’t care for it at all.”