Neil_Oz

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.)

LizzyF

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

Saltuarius

He didn't, just became more verbose.

SnRSeattle

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

Neil_Oz

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

Bokhara2

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

LizzyF

No Neil - born in Sydney.

Neil_Oz

Sorry, Liz.

LizzyF

Now I am a salmon - I guess

LizzyF

salmon slurper actually - or lamb lover?

Neil_Oz

Lamb lover? Have you moved to NZ?

LizzyF

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.

Bokhara2

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.

LizzyF

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.

Neil_Oz

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.

LizzyF

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.

Saltuarius

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.

tampatramp

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?

LizzyF

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.

Bokhara2

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 )