Short course in Australian slang
 

Recently the Department of Defence conducted a cull of excess kangaroos that had been breeding on Defence land in Canberra.

Inevitably a small group of Animal Lib protestors tried to disrupt the cull, and this led to two citizens setting up their own counter-protest on the side of a nearby road. It took the form of a barbecue stand selling kangaroo-meat sausages, undera big sign proclaiming

GET YOUR KANGA BANGER SANGERS HERE!

(Banger: sausage. Sanger: sandwich)

This was about on par with my favourite roadside sign, seen north of Brisbane some years ago: FISHO AT SERVO 500M BIG MUDDIES

(Translation: fish shop at service station, 500 metres. Large mud crabs.)

Why did you feel the need to translate - its all perfectly clear

He didn't, just became more verbose.

HaHa, Neil, but judging by the poor dead animals on the sides of the road into and out of Canberra, there's quite a lot of "culling" going on as it is.
Sally

Clear to you, maybe, Lizzy - but you're a banana-bender, aren't you?

That fisho was still at the servo a couple of months ago, Neil. Probably have webbed feet & gills up there today.

No Neil - born in Sydney.

Sorry, Liz.

Now I am a salmon - I guess

salmon slurper actually - or lamb lover?

Lamb lover? Have you moved to NZ?

Have you done a taste test between Tassie lamb and NZ lamb - they are both equally beautiful, that is as long as its not bought from Woolworths and bought from a good butcher.

LizzieF,
If you get a chance, try Salt-bush lamb. Lavici & I had some lamb racks from the Good Food market here in Sydney last month and it was excellent.
Very subtle flavour. Good to see one of the "hard times" fodders coming into its own as a gourmet produce source.

Wow Bokhara that sounds lovely - will try it when I can find some. So you got together with Lavici again did you. I see that you heard from her too this morning with pics.

I wasn't knocking Tassie lamb, LizzyF. It was just that your reference to "lamb-loving" brought to mind some scurrilous old jokes about the propensities of Kiwi sheep farmers.

I know that you were not knocking the lamb Neil. A lot of people do not realize that the lamb in Tassie is just sooooooooo lovely unlike the excuse for lamb in Qld ( mutton I guess). Like you, I just cannot understand those jokes about sheep and Kiwis.

I cannot buy mutton or hogget here in Queensland. Our Lamb comes from Vistoria!

The different ages have different tastes just as the feed affects the taste. I would use them differently too if I could get them. :-(

I just checked, the lamb in my Florida freezer just says from Australia. My butcher is going to love me when I question him about Where in Australia it comes from! And then I'll tell him I want lamb from Tazmania. But I guess I'll have to go there myself. Is there any other reason to go to Tassie?

There are 1000 reasons to go to Tasmania. Do a search on it here on Fodors as there has been much written about it.
When I lived in Qld the Lamb tasted like mutton Saltaurius.

Interesting to see your comments on hogget and mutton, LizzieF & Saltuarius.

There's been a good deal of controversy in the meat industry regarding the "passing off" of hogget (roughly 12 - 24 mths old) as lamb, due to some inconsistencies in the tax laws, with hoggets being able to be branded "lamb".

Lizzie, if you have a close look at the legs of lamb in your butcher's you might have your answer. And your hogget ;) I've occasionally seen "lamb" legs whose owners would be taller than me when they were fully grown if the one in question really did come from a <12 month old!

Personally, I prefer hogget for most dishes as I think it has more flavour than lamb. And, for curries, other slow cooked dishes - mutton. And I would only use mutton for Raan. It took me a little while to convince my local butcher that I did know the difference, and yes - I actually could cook mutton and not need a chain saw to cut it (LOL)

As a rough guide (ignoring breed etc)
Lamb - less than 12 mths old. Hogget - 12 - 24 mths (2 - 4 tooth)
Mutton - > 24 mths (6 tooth )

OK Bokhara - when you come to Tasmania I will cook you some Nichol's free range lamb - or lamb grown on Bruny Island, lightly marinated in herbs and spices and we will see what you think of it. I use older "lamb" or mutton for Mansaaf - a favourite Jordanian dish which is spiced lamb in yoghurt with an emphasis on Tumeric - mainly because the delicate and beautiful taste of real lamb is hidden when you use a lot of flavours. I love Mansaaf though and at least I could use the bought lamb from Queensland in that. Or I could make you real Kanga Banger Sangers - well they would probably be wallaby though.

Onya Neil, ya little buggar

You're on, LizzieF :)

I've had Liz's luscious lamb along with Geoff's homegrown veggies and what a treat it was.

Maybe Liz, SE Qld sources it's lamb from a different area to FNQ where there's not a sheep within coo-ee, the lamb I get from local butcher at Stratford, Cairns, comes from Young, NSW and some from Victoria. But its getting exxy!! He also sells goat meat, which makes a great curry and can take the stronger flavourings. Far cheaper, too.

I meant to say, Liz's luscious lamb was of course in Tasmania

Pat, I've been meaning to try goat meat - the best seems to be sold by halal butchers.

I don't think we have any halal butchers up here Neil, even goat isn't too common although its making more of an appearance lately.

But you could be right as a friend's Indian son-in-law insisted on bringing his own goat meat from Sydney (on the plane, hope he had an Esky) and the curry he made from that was superb. He lives in a part of Sydney were halal would be easy to come by, so could have been that or else he's just a much better cook than I am.

"...or else he's just a much better cook than I am."

Pat, I've seen enough fulsome praise of your cooking to make me doubt that statement.

Reminds me that somewhere I have a recipe for an Italian goat leg dish - "capretto in vino bianco" I think. Might be worth a try.

I might have to spring it on my wife, though. Do you think I could pass it off as lamb?

Easily, Neil. Don't tell Robyn & she will just think it's a sweeter lamb than usual.

We used to have it occasionally for tennis club BBQs and everyone loved it. Only those who knew could tell the difference.

I can buy it at our Asian butcher, so that might be a starting point for you if you have one in your area.

Haven't had it for a while but you & Pat have spurred me on, so will try some this week. Might be good weather for a rogan josh.