Eat Lamb. Wear Wool.
Roughly 30 years ago, the beef council recorded a commercial called “Beef. Real Food for Real People.” I was in grade school at the time and was missing my two front teeth. Since my parents owned the café that part of the commercial was shot in, I got the part to “HOLD THE BURGER AND SMILE.” It was a very fun and exciting time in my pre-adolescent life.
We were a beef loving Texan family and this experience just reinforced our eating habits. I recall being chastised by my father, if I ordered chicken at a restaurant or if I put ketchup on my steak. I suspect many of you had similar experiences with your family members. It was part of the rural culture in Texas. And it was successful because for the next 20 years I ordered beef whenever I could.
Cabrito, young goat, was a delicacy cooked for fund raising events or at special family functions. Before competitive cooking became popular, our little community measured BBQ cooks based on how well they could prepare cabrito.
Looking back, this all made sense because beef cattle and goats were commonly raised on local ranches. So were sheep, but eating lamb or wearing wool was not part of the Texas ranching culture. There are many reasons as to why this is the case but this article is too short to touch on them all.
As a certified sheep guru, it bothered me that we did not eat lamb more often. In 2012, my wife and I altered our cooking habits and included lamb as a protein source at least once per week. We learned a lot about cooking lamb during this time. We learned what recipes worked for different cuts of lamb. More importantly, we learned what recipes didn’t work for lamb.
We serve lamb to friends and family as often as we can. They are often surprised well prepared lamb has such a mild flavor. The biggest thing that we tell a person is “don’t try to make it too complicated.” Cook lamb like you would cook beef. The biggest difference is the fat. It is tacky when it cools, which gives it a different mouth feel, so serve it warm. It is also quite volatile on the grill, so don’t close the lid and walk away for very long. The leaner the lamb, the less lamb flavor will be present. And if lamb is cooked to medium, as opposed to rare or medium rare, the lamb flavor won’t be as strong because more fat is cooked out. Also, mutton can have a much stronger flavor than lamb. Mutton is not for the meek!
In 2015, I made an attempt to eat lamb every day for an entire year. I was successful at eating 365 lamb meals in a single year, just not every day. My family should be given an award for going along with me on this journey. Now my children ask for lamb at least once per week. Reminds me of how my father impressed upon me to eat BEEF.
After, my year-long lamb eating venture, I felt I needed to move onto something else. Naturally, I looked towards wool. Sweaters, coats, and hunting socks are common wool apparel but not something you can wear everyday for a year in Texas. Luckily, new technology and product development have made lightweight, next-to-skin wool products more available.
Now, I wear wool/mohair-blended socks almost every day. What I have found most noteworthy is how good these socks feel at the end of the day. They keep their shape and absorb moisture without feeling wet. This prevents bacterial growth, which produces odor. My favorites are the TexSa socks; produced with Texas mohair. Depending on my daily activity level, these socks can be worn for many days without washing.
More recently, I have been testing out wool underwear. I know what you are thinking; “This guy is crazy!” Just try it! My favorite underwear are made by KentWool.
And last but not least, I’ve been wearing wool shoes. For Christmas, I asked for Allbirds wool shoes. These shoes are made from superfine merino wool that is a woven and felted product. They are durable and super comfortable.
It’s a fun and exciting time to be in the sheep and goat business. I get joy from taking part in the business both from raising the animals and being a consumer of their products. What is even more rewarding is when people thank me for recommending a recipe or wool product they have purchased.
To provide feedback on this article or request topics for future articles, contact me at reid.redden@ag.tamu.edu or 325-653-4576. For general questions about sheep and goats contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county office. If they can’t answer your question, they have access to someone who can.