The Absolute Worst Cut Of Lamb To Throw On The Grill

There's nothing quite like lamb, with its pleasantly gamey meat taste (which you should really learn to embrace) and rich, velvety texture. Lamb is an extraordinarily versatile meat, able to be cooked in a number of ways, from roasting to grinding up for use in a burger to stewing to — of course — grilling. But there's one cut of lamb you should keep far, far away from the grill, because it isn't going to end well: lamb neck.

Lamb neck probably isn't the first cut you think of when lamb comes to mind — heck, it's probably not even in the top three — but it's one of those meats that chefs go nuts over and that's starting to gain a bit more mainstream popularity. It's not an organ meat, and is often actually less gamey than the rest of the lamb. But while it has a lot to offer and takes extremely well to several cooking methods, grilling on high heat isn't among them, because that's just going to render it tough and inedible.

Lamb neck is exactly what it sounds like; it's from the neck of the lamb, making it the muscle responsible for supporting the creature's head. This makes it a relatively heavily-worked muscle, meaning it's naturally somewhat tough. Lamb neck is also sold in various forms, from a full lamb neck roast to lamb neck filet (a thinner, longer cut containing part of the shoulder) to thick slices sometimes just called "neck bones." It's also absolutely chock full of connective tissue — and this is where the problem of grilling it comes into play.

Collagen and connective tissue in meat can be a wonderful thing — if it's been allowed to slowly break down, infusing the meat with its juices. That doesn't happen when you hit lamb neck with the high, searing heat of a grill; instead, the collagen hardens, and the entire thing becomes tough and borderline inedible. This exact principle is the same reason why brisket is the unexpected meat you need to avoid grilling at all costs.

So now you know to keep from grilling it, but what's the best way to get the most out of lamb neck? Any long, slow cooking method, it turns out, works great. Braising is the most obvious choice here, as the quick sear typically used at the start of braising doesn't go for long enough to allow the connective tissue to harden, and the ensuing low simmer in liquid gives the collagen plenty of time to relax and do its thing. 

Another excellent choice is smoking; much like brisket, slow-cooking lamb neck in a smoker imparts that classic wood flavor while also giving it plenty of time to become as tender as possible. Really, any slow-cooking method is what you want to go with when it comes to lamb neck. The important thing is to make sure you always keep it far, far from the heat of a sizzling grill unless you're in the mood for a bone-in hockey puck.