Lamb in Portugal - The Sounds of Portuguese

Ever wondered what lamb in Portugal is? What’s it called and how old is it? It’s not just borrego! In this post, I’ll walk you through some aspects of the different stages.

Firstly, you’re probably familiar with the term borrego 🐑 because that’s what you see in butchers and on restaurant menus. But there are three different words for lamb in Portugal. Read on to learn more.

cordeiro, anho and borrego 🐑

The lamb is the offspring of the ovelha (ewe) and the carneiro (ram). It belongs to the sheep family (ovinos). And the three names for lamb in Portuguese are:

cordeiro

borrego

anho

The short of it is that they all mean the same thing – lamb. However, there is some consistency as to when each term is used more and that is dependent on the age of the lamb. But, as I said in the intro, in the restaurant and shop it’s nearly always called borrego.

Cordeiro – In this growth phase there are two stages: the milk-lamb and lamb. The milk-lamb (cordeiro de leite or borrego de leite or simply anho) is as the name suggests a very young lamb that is still milk-fed and no older than 6 weeks usually. After this stage and up to about 4 to 6 months and sometimes up to a year they are just called cordeiros or sometimes anhos as well.

In Portugal, these become more available around Easter time as the sheep lamb in Spring.

Between 7 to 14 months, lamb is borrego (more so around the 12-month mark).

Over 18 – 24 months they are called ovelha (female – ewe), capão (castrated male – wether) and carneiro (intact male – ram).

o capão

a ovelha

o carneiro

os ovinos

Lamb cuts in Portugal

If you saw my Beef cuts in Portugal post, then you’re aware the cuts can be a little different to how the cuts are in other countries. I’m also no expert on this subject and I’ve tried my best to match up the descriptions and translations. Below is the Portuguese chart and below it are their names and the best-recommended ways to cook. You’ll notice that most parts of the lamb can be cooked in the same ways.

1. Cachaço || Neck

cachaço. The neck chops can be oven baked or grilled without adding fat.

2. Costeletas de pé/com pé || Chuck/Rack of Lamb

costeletas de pé/costeletas com pé. The chuck chops are suitable for grilling or roasting in the pan.

3. Peito || Breast/Brisket

peito. Breast chops are suitable for stewing, rolling and also for broths. They’re also suitable for grilling or roasting in the pan.

4. Costeletas do lombo || Tenderloin chops/rump

costeletas do lombo. Bake the tenderloin chops in the oven or grill without adding fat. They’re also suitable for grilling or roasting in the pan. Just be careful not to overcook as they will become tough if left to dry out.

5. Costeletas do fundo || Loin chops

costeletas do fundo. You can bake the loin chops in the oven or grill them without adding fat. They’re also suitable for grilling or roasting in the pan just as the lombo chops.

6. Pá/Mão || Shoulder(and foot)

pá. This cut sometimes is just called mão (hand) and it includes the shoulder, leg and foot. Same as the chops, you can bake the shoulder in the oven or grill it also without adding fat.

7. Aba || Flank

aba. Same again, the leg can be oven baked or grilled without adding fat. The thick flank is best seared and then roasted. I’ve read that the trick is to keep your grill time to a minimum.

8. Perna || Leg

perna. Once more, bake the leg in the oven or grill it without adding fat.

Sela de cordeiro/borrego|| Saddle of Lamb

sela de borrego/sela de cordeiro. Sela means “saddle”, so this piece is the unsplit primal rib which is parts 2 and 4 respectively as one piece (the chuck all the way to the rump).

What about cabrito?

The cabrito (young goat/kid) is the offspring of the cabra (goat) and the bode (billy goat/buck). It belongs to the goat family (caprinos). they are usually around 3 months old.

cabrito

a cabra

o bode

os caprinos

What is the difference between cabrito and cordeiro/borrego?

There are some morphological differences between the two. Cordeiros (lambs) have a more robust body and rounded head, with smaller ears, which do not hang down like those of cabritos (kids).

Lamb meat is lighter and richer in fat and is more tender than kid. Cabritos have an elongated head, generally with larger and droopier ears. The meat has a mild taste and is lean.

Kid offers a high amount of protein, iron and low-fat content. In addition, it has omega 3 and omega 6.

Goat Kid cuts in Portugal 🐐

Just like the previous cuts, I’ve tried to match them and the translations as much as I could. Below is the cut chart in Portugal. The go-to way of cooking goat kid is to oven-roast or stew it. However, most recipes for lamb will do for kid too. Just keep in mind that goat’s meat is generally less fatty than lamb’s. When buying goat or kid, more often than not you’ll find the portions are the whole or half kid.

1. Cabrito Inteiro || Whole Goat Kid

cabrito inteiro. Best roasted in the oven. Also good for stewing. Try Cabrito assado no forno com batatas. Oven-roasted kid with roast potatoes is delicious and easy to prepare.

2. Meio cabrito || Half Kid

meio cabrito. Same as above.

3. Cabeça || Head

cabeça. I know that for many people this choice of cut is a little unusual – even for Portuguese people.

4. Pescoço || Neck

pescoço. Prepare the same way you would lamb neck cuts.

5. Peito || Breast/Brisket

peito. Same recipes as for lamb breast/brisket.

6. Costeletas || Rack/Rib

costeletas. Similar to lamb again but has less fat.

7. Costelas || Loin Chops

costelas. Best when broiled or grilled. Also suitable for searing.

8. Patas || shank

patas. Slow oven roast or braised until the meat falls off the bone.

9. Ossobuco || Osso Buco

ossobuco. This is an Italian word that means “hollow bone”. In Portugal, we usually stew it in the oven with red wine!

10. Perna || Leg

perna. Slow roast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Baby Lamb in Portuguese

Baby milk lamb in Portuguese is cordeiro de leite, borrego de leite or anho. Once the lambs reach 4 to 6 months, they are called cordeiros.

Lamb chops in Portuguese

Lamb chops in Portuguese are costeletas de borrego.

Goat in Portuguese

Goat in Portuguese is cabra (female) and bode (male). A kid is cabrito.

Curious about the beef cuts in Portugal? Also, are you curious why we eat Lamb for Easter in Portugal? Click on the link to read more.

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