Alright people, prepare yourselves for this one (and non-meat-eaters, be wary)! We watched a whole lamb butchery this past Sunday, and we’re excited to share it with you. We learned a lot this past weekend, and enjoyed an entire meal of lamb dishes to boot.

Our guest chef for the evening was Brett Romberg, the Chef de Cuisine at Mainland Inn in Harleysville. Mainland Inn is run by farmer Sloane Six, whose farm, Quarry Hill, supplies the produce and meat. To complement the farm-to-table food they serve, all the ingredients used in the restaurant are entirely organic and sustainably sourced. Yes- we said all, even the spirits!

Over at COOK, our night started with Brett demonstrating how he breaks down a lamb, highlighting the different parts of the animal and what they are used for. Fun fact: lamb is broken down into three main sections, or “primals.” So that 8-rack of lamb you’re used to seeing? It comes from the mid-primal, which starts after with the 6th rib and continues down the back of the lamb (as Romberg explained, this primal is “where the money cuts come from”).

Romberg started by giving us a lesson on the different parts of the lamb that we are accustomed to eating.

He explained the three primals of the lamb.

Then showed us how to butcher, starting with the first primal.

To snack while he explained the process of butchering the lamb, he offered us lamb merguez meatballs with black tahini to start off the meal.

After the excitement of seeing the lamb broken down (which Brett made look easy, but we bet is far from it), the meal began!

First course: lamb tartare, inspired by risotto alla Milanese. To channel the elements of the risotto, Romberg included a saffron rice cracker and a preserved lemon gremolata, then finished the plate with fried bone marrow.

Next came lamb neck, cooked sous-vide then pan seared for the final touches. This he served with garlic four ways (pickled, fried, fresh garlic scapes, and pureed) and a black olive oil paste made from dehydrated then pureed black olives.

Our third course was pasta; in this case, orecchiette tossed with mint, fennel, butter, and whey braised lamb, then topped with fresh apricots and pecorino. We could barely hold on to a bowl to grab a picture before these were devoured!

That alone could have been a meal, but Brett followed up the pasta course with a fifth (and final) savory course of roasted lamb saddle, stuffed with swiss chard, black garlic, diced lamb heart, and fennel, served with pickled fennel, sorrel salsa, and potatoes.

To cleanse our palates before the dessert course, Brett served a little pre-dessert: rhubarb and watermelon granita.

Lastly, dessert was a vanilla sheep’s milk ice cream, topped with crumbled cookies and served with blueberry whipped cream.

Which, in case you were wondering, was about as decadent as it looks.

For more of Brett’s delicious food, check out the Mainland Inn! Thanks again for an unbelievable dinner.