Lamb Neck fillets

[wallie]

I have seen quite a few recipes lately using Lamb Neck Fillets.
I am trying to get some clarification on this cut.
I was a cook at sea for quite a number of years and had to do my own butchery on whole carcasses of beef, lamb and pork and the only cut I know in this respect was lamb neck end either as a whole piece or cut into neckend chops.
This was a cut full of flavour but had to have long slow cooking or it was tough.
Yet I was watching a program on ITV yesterday "Britains best dish" and this recipe used neck end fillet and it was only cooked in the oven for 8minutes each side.
In another recipe I seen it was barbequed.
Surely anything of the neckend would be tough after only 16minutes cooking!
Unless I am out of touch with modern cuts of meat and there is some magic part of the neck that gives a tender fillet.
I would appreciate if anyone knows the butchering skills would let me know where this cut comes from.

Thanks
wallie

[ifpo238]

if they cooked it such a short time, my guess would be that it's part of the loin or tenderloin from the neck end.

-j

[saucisson]

I think you are correct, having cooked scrag end of neck before I was surprised when I came across a piece of "neck" in a supermarket clear out section that looked just like tenderloin from a pig (only it was lamb, obviously). The most succulent lamb I have ever tasted.

Dave

[Richierich]

This is what deliaonline had to say. Although did find another site that stated that neck fillets were from the scrag, and were ideal for slow cooking.

Middle neck or scrag end of neck of lamb
For stewing, middle neck or scrag end of neck are generally used because the bones impart delicious juices to the liquid. Best end neck chops are ideal for braised dishes like Lancashire hotpot (in Scotland these are called single loin chops and in the Midland simply cutlets). Fillets from the neck were not a traditional British butcher�s cut but recently some supermarkets and enterprising independents have started to prepare de-boned versions of this delicious meat.

[Ianinfrance]

Hi,

If you get a whole lambs neck, you will find that there are lengths of muscle which can be boned out from it. Difficult to describe exactly where they run, but you can get little strips of meat about 1.5 cms diameter, the length of the neck.

As to how tender they are... I don't think they are _anything_ like as tender as the tenderloin (or undercut) from the loin. However, with marinating they can be used pretty well for kebabs. Very flavourful.

[Fallow Buck]

Marinaded in some olive oil and some north african style spices the neck fillets can then be cooked on a very hot griddle until crispy outside.

Sliced and put into a tortillie with some salsa and houmous they are fabulous.

I'm picing up my 2 lambs tonight from the butcher so I think I may have that for dinner tonight!!


Rgds,
FB

[saucisson]

I feel like Pavlov's dog when I read your posts FB

Dave

[georgebaker]

Hi
is this the cut I sometimes see described as "Backstrap"?

George

[Fallow Buck]

George,

Backstrap is actuallyt the boned out eye of meat that runs along the saddle. It is the same cut as Sirloin. The front end of the loin, (backstrap) narrows right down and then joins onto the series of neck muscles. The neck fillet is the top most of these cuts and ataches to the atlas joint at the back of the head. There are some other cuts below but they are usually just trimmed & used for mince or ausage if I am not mistaken.

I made the neck fillets up ffor dinner on Friday night. I didn't have the Fajhitas so I made a bbulgar wheat cous cous with raisin sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Then I marinaded the lamb dry with corriander, sweet paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. ( A bit of cayenne may have been a good idea with hindsight). Griddled in the pan on a high heat the outside went very crispy but the inside was incredibly succulent.


The lamb itself had been hung for 10 days so the meat was as tender as you could ever want it to be.

My Mutton Ewe is hanging still for a few more days. to make the best part of 2 and a half weeks. then I'll get onto the Merguez with all the trimming and one of the shoulders. I might bulk it out with a bit of venison too if the lamb looks a bit too fatty.

Rgds,
FB