30. Mutton and lamb are usually cut up in the same way, the dressed
animal being divided into two pieces of almost equal weight. The line of
division occurs between the first and second ribs, as is indicated by
the heavy middle line in Fig. 6. The back half of the animal is called
the _saddle_ and the front half, the _rack_. In addition to being cut in
this way, the animal is cut down the entire length of the backbone and
is thus divided into the fore and hind quarters.
The method of cutting up the racks and saddles varies in different
localities, but, as a rule, the method illustrated in Fig. 7 is the one
that is used. As here shown, the rack, or fore quarter, is cut up into
the neck, chuck, shoulder, rib chops, and breast; and the saddle, or
hind quarter, is divided into the loin, flank, and leg.
The way in which the front and the back of a dressed sheep appear is
shown in Fig. 8. The membrane, which extends from the legs down over the
ribs, is the omentum, or covering of the intestines, and is known as the
_caul_. This must be removed from any part that it covers before the
meat is cooked. The kidneys incased in fat are also shown in the view
at the left.