As a kid, I was always hesitant when it came to eating lamb chops; too often they were greasy and usually had an unpleasant “lamby” taste. In the last few years however, the lamb chops I’ve been buying from my local grocery store have been meaty, juicy and non “lamby” tasting.

But it wasn’t until I met lamb farmers John and Sukey Jamison this past spring (at the International Association of Culinary Professionals Annual Conference in Pittsburgh), that I fully realized my new addiction to lamb chops was because I’ve now been eating grass-fed rather than corn-fed lamb.

I had this lamb epiphany when I chatted with the Jamisons as they were signing copies of their recently published book, “Coyotes in the Pasture and Wolves at the Door.” This book of recipes and reminiscences tells how, in the early 80’s, they became entranced with an old stone house in rural Pennsylvania. They wanted to buy it, but the owner, a farmer, wouldn’t sell it without the 210 grassy acres it sat on. So they bought the house, acres and all, and became accidental lamb farmers to make use to make use of the land. 

The Jamison’s developed a thriving mail order business, first selling to home cooks, with Sukey providing innovative lamb recipes. Their business greatly expanded when, in the early 90’s, Chuck Williams of Williams Sonoma asked the Jamisons to be in their catalog. Word of their quality lamb also spread to our nation’s top chefs, who ordered custom cuts. In Chicago alone, culinary icons like Charlie Trotter, Rick Bayless and Grant Achatz counted themselves as customers.

And here’s what Dan Barber, renowned chef/owner of New York’s Blue Hill restaurant, says about the Jamisons: “John and Sukey broke the mold of modern agriculture. When everyone was heading towards mass production and uniformity, they looked to the past — to the great traditions of peasant farming. The flavor of their lamb speaks for itself.”

You may order their book from their website.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022
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