Meat
Merino
A tier
Merino sheep are the world’s premier fine-wool breed, refined in Spain and later in Australia and South Africa; meat was long secondary but modern dual-purpose Merinos and first-cross lambs now supply large volumes of light, pale carcasses. Animals are typically white-faced, wrinkly or plain-bodied depending on strain, and adapted to arid and semi-arid range. Merino lamb is often milder and finer-grained than hill breeds, with thinner subcutaneous fat—favoured for cutlets, butterflied legs, and export chilled trade from Australia and South America. Over-lean carcasses benefit from careful brining or moist heat; well-finished hoggets develop a more pronounced, almost nutty fat flavour prized by some butchers.
Track this ingredient
Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Fine-wool Merino flocks were guarded as Spanish royal stock and traded carefully across Iberia.
Early Merino imports founded the Australian pastoral industry that later dominated fine wool and light lamb export.
Cape and Karoo Merino flocks expanded dual wool-and-meat production in southern Africa.
Meat-focused Merino and first-cross programmes improved carcass weight while retaining fine wool income.