Americans don't eat much mutton primarily due to its demanding preparation and the rise of more convenient meats.
The Decline of Mutton in American Cuisine
Mutton, unlike lamb, requires specific preparation methods to achieve tenderness. It needs dry aging and long, slow cooking times. This contrasts sharply with the convenience-focused food culture that emerged in mid-20th century America. The preference shifted towards quicker-cooking meats that aligned with busy lifestyles and readily available, pre-packaged options. The era of modern convenience simply left mutton behind.
As the provided text states: "Modernity and convenience were all the rage, and mutton, which requires dry aging and long, slow cooking times to become tender, was neither modern nor convenient. If mutton ever really had a heyday, by midcentury, it was over."
This shift in culinary preferences resulted in a decreased demand, impacting its availability and ultimately its consumption. Other factors, while not explicitly mentioned in the reference, may have contributed, including:
- Changes in farming practices: The shift towards raising younger lambs for meat (lamb being preferred to mutton) altered the market.
- Cultural shifts: American cuisine evolved, adopting new flavors and techniques that overshadowed traditional mutton dishes.
- Competition from other meats: Beef, pork, and poultry became more readily available and affordable, further reducing the demand for mutton.
In short, the combination of time-consuming preparation, changing consumer preferences, and increased competition from other meats contributed to the decline of mutton in American diets.
