Lamb

Most lamb in Italy is labeled agnello. The animal, which is typically slaughtered at about ten weeks, is butchered into five major cuts: the cosciotto, or leg; the spalla, or shoulder; the sella, or saddle or loin; the carré, or rack (small rib chops, larger chops, and neck); and the petto, or breast. These larger cuts are then often broken down further by the butcher. For a special occasion, cooks might ask the butcher to prepare a barone, which is a cut that includes the saddle and two legs. Italian lamb is not always purely milk-fed, but it is typically young, small, and tender. If the butcher labels the meat agnellone, it means that it comes from an older lamb, one slaughtered at six to ten months of age.