Got Mutton?

Neither had we since May.  That would not do.

Thus the need to ride the GRiSO to Whitesville, Kentucky, over this past Memorial Day weekend to get that itch scratched.  

Kathi drove the Mini as a sag wagon with enough tools for depot-level-maintenance if needed.  But, as has always been the case with the GRiSO, it ran like  … well, fill in the blank with whatever simile pleases you.  I prefer several that get The Look from Kathi.  

Anyway, it was a grand trip.  I rode some stupendous roads in Virginia, W.V., and Ky., and Kathi and I met for the overnights along the way.  Great fun.

Aside from mutton — yes, an acquired taste    — we also enjoyed the travel and, especially, revisiting Daviess County, where I spent most of my early life, and seeing some of my “U.S. family" there.  

Thomas Hagan came to Maryland from Ireland in 1662.  The Great Catholic Migration of the late 1700’s led the Hagans and 200 other families from Tidewater Md. to central Kentucky — and the bourbon many of us enjoy today!  

Better farming in western Kentucky drew them to Daviess County in the early 1800’s.  The rest is mutton … I mean history. :-)

I think it especially poignant (and serendipitous, as we did not know this when we moved to our present home in Virginia) that my third great grandfather, Thomas Clark Hagan, was born in 1793 about 10 miles from our Winchester home, and died in Whitesville in 1875.  What a journey his life so literally was!

Enough musing; it’s mutton and moto time.  

So, if still reading, see the pix here: Muttoning September 2018

Bill

P.S.  If it’s already snowed where you are, and your riding days are over for the season, you might even look at prior mutton runs.

See, e.g., Mutton Run 2016 & Mutton Run May 2018

Awesome story and pics, Bill.

When you come over here, I'll do a leg of lamb on the hooded BBQ. It takes 3-4 hours, depending on size, and I follow the rules fastidiously - it is indeed a crime if you do not drink alcohol (Shiraz or Black Beer) when cooking a BBQ. Sometimes, I forget the lamb, for a bit - I call it "crackling" - still nice though. We probably do this every 2 weeks in summer.

So when are you both coming?

Mmm, Mutton, Hogget, Lamb, Lamb Shanks slow roasted

We tried to feed a lamb roast to a Georgian once, he wasn't that keen on it.

As you say it must be an acquired taste, however we acquired it from a very young age (or we went without dinner)

Great pics Bill!

I hate mutton. I grew up eating it. We lived in the bush, and the bloke my father work for would let him butcher a beast every few months. Of course, he picked the scabbiest old wether he could find. It was vile. To this day, the smell of cooking mutton makes me gag.

Having said that, I wil eat lamb cutlets that my wife prepares. She gets them French trimmed, and marinates them. I char them on the BBQ.

We can't buy mutton in the shops here anymore, Just lamb. I absolutely adore properly cooked mutton, much more flavor. A few farms we visit in the upper western NSW area still serve up a lovely roast Mutton dinner.  A young Goat is also very tasty, and hard to pick from lamb, annnnnnd I'm hungry again
Just finished viewing the photos, thanks for sharing your travels Bill. I love that red GRiSO, so clean at the start of the trip. All that food ........ And whiskey

Still eat mutton occasionally and yes, it was survival food here in hard times.

A 3:1 ratio of roo meat:mutton through the mincer with a little bacon and onions make great burger patties.