Ram muscles

An alternative term for mutton, the meat of mature sheep. The expression reflects older butchery vocabulary in which meat from adult male sheep was distinguished from lamb and hogget. Like all mutton, it is deeper in color, firmer in texture, and stronger in flavor than lamb, suited to braising, stewing, and curing, where slow moist cooking converts connective tissue to gelatin. Modern retail labeling generally uses standardized terms such as lamb, hogget, and mutton defined by animal age and dentition, but traditional terms persist in regional butchery and historical recipes, describing the same well-flavored mature sheepmeat.