Specialty Lamb, from the Rack to Merguez
Lamb rewards good sourcing more than almost any red meat, and our selection leans on New Zealand, where lamb is raised on open pasture and grass-fed from start to finish. That gives the meat a clean, mild flavor without the heaviness some people remember from older supermarket lamb. The marquee cut is a frenched rack from Broadleaf, the elegant centerpiece roast, and it sits alongside the everyday cuts and the lamb sausages that have made this page a destination. Each item is chosen by our buying team for the same things a butcher would check: where the lamb was raised, how it was fed, and how cleanly it was trimmed.
What sets this selection apart is the sausage. Lamb merguez, the spiced North African sausage, is the single most sought-after item here, made by Chateau Royal, a sausage house working at the craft since 1988. Their merguez carries the warm spice and gentle heat the style is known for, and it sits next to milder options like a lamb sausage seasoned with oregano and roasted garlic. These are not supermarket bangers; they are made in small runs from real lamb, the kind of thing you would otherwise have to track down at a specialty butcher. igourmet has shipped specialty foods directly from makers like these since 1997.
Merguez and Lamb Sausage
Merguez is a spiced fresh sausage from the Maghreb, the North African region spanning Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, and it became a fixture in French cooking through the same route. It is made from lamb, sometimes a blend of lamb and beef, seasoned with harissa, cumin, paprika, garlic, and fennel, which give it a deep red color and a flavor that is aromatic and warm more than punishing. The casing is traditionally thin, so merguez cooks quickly and crisps at the edges. Set against a mild breakfast link, it is bolder and far more spiced, something like a North African cousin to chorizo.
Cooking it is simple: grill or pan-fry over medium heat rather than high, since the spices scorch over an open flame, and cook it through as you would any fresh sausage. Merguez is at home tucked alongside couscous and roasted vegetables, sliced into a tagine, or pushed into a baguette with harissa mayo for the French street dish merguez-frites. The milder lamb sausages, like the oregano-and-garlic version, suit anyone who wants the richness of lamb without the heat. Either way, our rubs and seasonings collection has the harissa, ras el hanout, and herb blends that bring out the best in lamb. Because the sausages are raw, they ship frozen; thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking.
Lamb Cuts and How to Cook Them
The frenched rack is the cut to know first: eight ribs trimmed clean, roasted hot and fast to a rosy medium-rare, then sliced into individual chops. It is the simplest way to put a restaurant-quality lamb dish on the table. Beyond the rack, lamb divides neatly by cooking method. The tender cuts, loin and rib chops, want quick, high heat on a grill or in a hot pan. A leg is best roasted, whole and bone-in or butterflied for the grill. Shanks and shoulder are the slow cuts, braised low and long until the meat falls from the bone, the foundation of a North African tagine or a red-wine braise.
At its best, lamb is cooked no further than medium. The whole cuts, rack, chops, and leg, are best pulled between 130 and 145 degrees and rested before slicing, while ground lamb for kofta or burgers should be cooked through to 160. New Zealand lamb runs a little leaner and milder than domestic, so it takes well to assertive partners: garlic and rosemary, a harissa or yogurt marinade, or the bright mint and herb sauces that pair so naturally with lamb. A little goes a long way, and the cooking is forgiving as long as you stop short of well done.
Also Worth Exploring
Merguez and lamb chops are made for live fire, so the grilling meats collection is the natural companion for anything headed to the grill. To dress the cuts, the sauces and marinades collection has the harissa, chimichurri, and mint-forward options that suit lamb. And for the wider butcher counter, from beef and pork to poultry and more, the all fresh meats collection is where to look next.
Lamb & Merguez: Frequently Asked Questions
Merguez is a spicy fresh sausage from North Africa, traditionally made from lamb or a blend of lamb and beef. It is seasoned with harissa, cumin, paprika, garlic, and fennel, which give it a deep red color and a warm, aromatic heat. Originating in the Maghreb, across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, it became a staple of French cooking and is now a fixture at butcher counters and on bistro menus. Merguez is thinner than most pork sausages because it is traditionally made in a narrow casing, so it cooks fast and crisps well. The flavor is bold and well spiced, but more aromatic than fiery.
Lamb sausage covers a wide range. The most famous is merguez, the spicy North African style. Milder versions lean on Mediterranean herbs, like a lamb sausage seasoned with oregano and roasted garlic, which carries the flavor of lamb without the heat. You will also see thinner, British-style lamb chipolatas, often served at breakfast, and mutton sausage, made from older sheep for a deeper, more pronounced flavor. The common thread is that lamb gives a sausage a richer, gamier character than pork or chicken, which is why these styles have such a devoted following among people who already love lamb.
Our lamb is New Zealand raised and grass-fed, with the frenched rack as the centerpiece cut, an eight-rib roast that is quick to prepare and ideal for a special dinner. As a rule, tender cuts like rib and loin chops are grilled or pan-seared fast over high heat, a leg is roasted, and shanks and shoulder are braised low and slow until tender. Lamb is at its best cooked to medium-rare or medium, pulled between 130 and 145 degrees and then rested, while ground lamb should reach 160. New Zealand lamb is lean and clean in flavor, and because we work directly with producers and our team selects each item by hand, you are getting the kind of lamb a good butcher would stand behind.