Food Guide

Beef Tastes Like Lamb: Discover the Surprising Similarities and Differences

Have you ever bought a cut of beef and figured out it tastes like a lamb when cooked?

Do you feel that you have been fooled?

Don’t worry, there are reasons for that.

And if you don’t like the taste of lamb, we will also help you with some ways to get rid of it in your beef.

Let’s check it out!

Why does my beef taste like lamb?

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Don’t think that the butcher has packed the wrong cut of lamb in your beef package.

It doesn’t happen in most cases.

So why does your beef taste like lamb?

Here are some possible answers:

Grass-fed beef has a gamier taste which is similar to lamb

First of all, we should know that beef and lamb don’t taste really different.

Since they are both red meat and can be raised in the same method, beef and lamb can have some common characteristics in terms of the flavor profile.

If you have bought grass-fed beef, it will taste more like lamb due to the gamier taste than grain-fed, or regular beef.

Your beef has been cooked with lamb

Another possibility of the lamby taste in your beef dish is that your beef has been cooked with lamb, or cooked in the same equipment that has been used for the lamb recipe.

This “meat confusion” can make the flavor of beef and lamb being affected by each other and taste similar.

Cross-tasting can be an advantage or disadvantage in cooking per personal preference, but it does affect the flavor of your dish.

Is it safe to eat beef that tastes like lamb?

It is obviously not dangerous when eating beef that tastes like lamb.

As long as there is no sign of spoilage in your dish, it is safe to eat.

The lamby flavor in your beef dish can be caused by several factors (as mentioned earlier), but it does not affect the quality as well as the nutritional value of the meat.

But if you are not a fan of lamb, you must have wanted to know how to get rid of this problem.

Keep reading to learn more.

How to get rid of the lamby taste in beef?

In this section, we are going to share with you some simple but effective methods that will help you get rid of the lamby taste in your beef dish:

Soak your beef in milk or buttermilk before cooking

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The first thing you can do to reduce or get rid of the lamby taste in your beef dish is to soak your beef in plain milk or buttermilk.

These dairy products can help tenderize the meat as well as moisten it besides removing the lamby and gamey taste in your beef.

Use an acidic marinade

Another thing you can do to reduce the lamby taste in your beef is to use an acidic marinade.

The acidity can help remove any bad odor or taste in your beef dish, and also add a breeze to make your dish more interesting and delicious.

Add more spices to your beef dish

The third suggestion from us is to add more spices to your beef to mask the lamby taste (if any) in your beef dish.

There are different kinds of spices and herbs you can use for your beef recipes, such as oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, or chili powder.

These spices have a pungent taste that can help make your dish more flavorful and reduce the lamby taste in your beef.

Never cook beef and lamb together or in the same equipment without rinsing it well

Last but not least, remember to not cook your beef and lamb together in one recipe to prevent their flavors from affecting each other.

Also, don’t make use of the same cooking equipment that you have used for your lamb recipe to cook beef without washing and rinsing it well to remove any flavor from the previous dish.

The bottom line

Now you know that the lamby taste of beef is actually not a bad sign.

It turns out to come from lamb-fed beef, which is considered a nutritious and tasty alternative to regular grain-fed beef.

lamb-fed beef is even more expensive than not everyone can afford it.

However, with the help from our post, now you can enjoy healthy lamb-fed beef without sacrificing flavor and your resulting beef dish will never taste like lamb anymore.

Thanks for reading!

Emily W.

Emily Wong is an Asian-American food writer the founder of Cookindocs.com. With nearly 8 years of experience, she has a passion for making cooking accessible to everyone and sharing her personal experiences with food. Emily's vision for Cookindocs.com is to create a community of food lovers who are passionate about cooking, eating, and sharing their experiences with others. Read my story
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