Composition of fat in lamb meat

Lamb meat has distinctive qualities. It has a high ultimate pH and marbling fat content, and generally scores high for tenderness and flavor.

3 ounces of lamb (leg, whole, roasted) contains 162 calories, 6.6 grams of fat, with only 2.4 grams saturated fatty acids and 2.9 grams being monounsaturated fatty acids, and less than half a gram of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The carcasses of young sheep, from 12 to 20 months old, are usually termed yearling mutton, with harder and whiter bones, darker and coarser and thicker external and internal fat.

Lamb fat has high levels of saturated fatty acids, particularly stearic acid (18: 0) and a low ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid (P:S). The high concentration of stearic acid is a factor in the hardness of lamb fat, which is very noticeable when the meat is eaten cold.
Composition of fat in lamb meat