Just Wondering if this ‘Red Meat’ is from ‘Bannur’ or ‘Kannur’ Sheep?

Just Wondering if this ‘Red Meat’ is from ‘Bannur’ or ‘Kannur’ Sheep?

Mangaluru: The demand for Bannur Mutton in the City is so much that sometimes it is sold out quickly or you land up buying fake Bannur mutton from cheating meat sellers. I too love Bannur mutton, and when my friend comes down from Mysuru every month he brings a few kgs of the best Bannur mutton available ( he buys it from Mandya) and shares it with his relatives, and I get couple of kgs- and that’s real good original Bannur mutton, tasty and delicious after cooking. But if you look around at all the meat shops in the city, you could see a sign stating, “Bannur Mutton Available Here”- but how far it is the original Bannur Mutton, God only knows. On Sundays, at Kanara Club-Mangaluru, one of the special of the day is ‘Bannur Mutton Biriyani”- and that’s “Wow” biriyani- authentic and tasty cooked with real Bannur Mutton- and trust me, this Biriyani is sold like hot-cakes every Sunday at the Club. Real good Bannur Mutton makes Real Good Biriyani!

I am not saying all meat shops are selling fake Bannur Mutton, but I have been cheated, so also some of my relatives- where when the meat is cooked tastes quite different and also its not soft like the real Bannur Mutton. So next time you are craving for some Bannur Mutton, always buy it from the meat seller you trust-but don’t buy it from any other meat shop you haven’t been before-they will cheat you? A week ago on Sunday, the meat shop where we always buy our chicken and Mutton had run out of Bannur Mutton, so we had no other choice to buy that red meat from a different meat shop-but once it was cooked at home we realized it wasn’t the original Bannur meat, since it was tough and had a peculiar taste. I am not sure whether any one of you might have had such kind of experience while buying Bannur mutton, but I surely did. No more buying Bannur mutton from a non-regular meat shop, I have decided.

So now, What’s the Big Deal about ‘Bannur Mutton’ Anyways? Why Bannur Mutton? What is Bannur Mutton? What’s the Bannur Benefit? Read further….

Mutton is a favourite in most meat-eating Indian households. From biryanis and curries to chops and roasts, mutton is the favoured red meat – when cooked right. When it isn’t, complaints tend to range between too much fat on the pieces to tough, chewy, fibrous, and even smelly meat that is not fun on the palate. And for that, there is a solution. It’s called Bannur Mutton. What is Bannur Mutton? Bannur Mutton comes from the “Bannur” sheep that originates on banks of the Cauvery river in a village called Bandur of Mandya district; 30 kilometres east of Mysore. The meat of this sheep is known for its higher muscle-to-fat ratio, and therefore superior quality – so much that it is compared to Japanese “Wagyu beef” – one of the most exquisite, and expensive cuts of meat in the world!

So what is the Bannur Benefit: A lot of factors play a role in raising Bannur Sheep: the Cauvery basin, the altitude, and their natural diet. Genetically, these sheep have a higher than average muscle-to-fat ratio – visible in the form of a thin white layer of fat well distributed over their bodies, which is why the meat ends up being so tender when cooked. Thanks to its thin layer of fat, it not only tastes better, but it cooks real quick too! And, it doesn’t have the signature strong smell that tends to put a lot of people off! The meat from these sheep is better suited for frying, as steaks, and in biryanis. Since the meat is so tender, there are chances it may disintegrate while cooking if it is minced or cut into really tiny pieces – so beware!

In conclusion, Bannur Lamb/ Sheep, by virtue of its genetics has a higher than average Muscular fat ratio, rendering it to be very tender. It has a thin white layer of fat, well distributed all over the carcass. The negative side (if you can say so!) is that you cannot get minced meat that holds itself well while cooking. It is more suitable for fry, steak and biryani. But one needs to make sure, that the pieces/ cubes cut out is larger than say, a goat (or any other sheep breed) piece/ cube, as a small piece may disintegrate while cooking. The Cauvery basin, the altitude, and its natural diet render it to be the most superior lamb/ sheep species in the whole of India, perhaps the world. Its meat may be compared to the marbled texture of Wagyu beef from Japan (the most expensive in the world), Iberian ham and its delicate flavor (attributed to geography and its local diet of acorn).

Another reason in this region is price. With people consuming beef as an alternative to mutton, the premium red meat has taken a beating. Earlier there may have been no demand for premium meat. But with an increase in purchasing power, people demand better deals and they are getting it. Just because the meat sellers have a sign posted saying Fresh Bannur Mutton sold here, some shops may pass off their meat as Bannur mutton, in reality it isn’t. Trust me, many others have also told me that they have been duped with sub-standard mutton for Bannur?

So if you really…really like mutton-Make the switch! A lot of people have been switching to Bannur Mutton for their red meat needs. And the best part? Bannur Mutton is now available online. Cut fresh, only per order, and delivered right to your door! But seeing the meat and buying is much better than ordering online- visit the meat seller whom you can trust and make sure it’s the authentic Bannur Mutton, and not Duplicate.

Another thing I want to highlight is that- I remember when my mom is to cook Mutton liver, and it was soft and tasty. But I have experienced ordering Mutton liver delicacy at couple of the restaurants in town, but found out many a times the liver is hard, kind of big pieces etc- wonder if they are mixing Chicken or beef as substitute- never know. Next time you order for mutton liver at a restaurant, think twice- you could be munching on some chicken or beef cubes?

Also while buying meat make sure you see the weigh scale- because you could be cheated. Most of the shops have their weighing scale display facing towards them and not facing towards the customer side- so chances are there is lot of cheating on the weight. Other day there was an offer, where you could get 4 kgs of “Back and Neck” of chicken for Rs 100 (otherwise you are paying between Rs 50 -70 per Kg). I buy this meat for my dogs- trusting the meat seller I paid Rs 200 for 8 kgs and left his shop. Just for curiosity I took the 8 kg bag of meat to my friend, Norbert Crasta’s chicken shop at Kadri Market, and while weighing there it showed only 6.90 kgs- I got cheated by 1 kg less. Bah humbug!

BEWARE! Next time you buy any kind of meat (Chicken, Mutton or Beef) at meat shops other than your regular meat seller’s shop whom you can trust, check for the quality, and most importantly, keep an eye on the weight scale while your product is being weighed. You could be cheated big time?