OUR PRODUCTS
Lamb
Local, Fresh, Pasture-Raised Lamb
Firsthand Foods’ offers pasture-raised lamb from a network of local producers. All are certified by Animal Welfare Approved and never use growth-promoting antibiotics or added hormones. Many of these producers also raise beef cattle for us and rotate the two species to optimize pasture and animal health. Some of our lamb producers graze their sheep on solar farms as a natural alternative to mowing. Our lamb is processed for us by Piedmont Custom Meats in Gibsonville and Chaudhry’s Halal Meats in Siler City, both USDA-inspected Animal Welfare Approved small-scale, family-run facilities.
Our farmers raise Khatadin hair sheep, a breed that thrives in the heat of the south and results in lamb with an exceptionally mild and clean flavor. Working with a network of breeders, Firsthand has developed a larger-framed Khatadin that yields more meat than is typical of this breed.
One of our core values is accountability. We want our community of chefs, retailers and consumers to know and understand how the animals are raised and what goes into the quality lamb we are proud to put our name on. We invite you to read our standards and producer protocols.
Recipe Ideas
Merguez Bites
Summer brings long evenings and the perfect excuse to invite friends and neighbors over for appetizers and drinks. I always like to serve at least one protein to my guests, preferably something hot, and a few dishes made with the summer’s bounty of fresh vegetables. The best appetizers are one or two bites and easy… Read more »
Greek Lamb Meatballs
Meatballs. Just the mention of this word conjures up images of Italian grandmas plating mounds of spaghetti topped with homemade tomato sauce. Meatballs are often a mixture of ground beef and pork with egg and breadcrumbs as a binder. Everyone has his or her favorite recipe and the jury is still out on the best… Read more »
Somewhat Fancy Shepherd’s Pie
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and we’ve got a treat for you from Sheri Castle, award-winning local cookbook author. When Sheri stopped by the Firsthand Foods’ warehouse a few months ago, we loaded her up with pasture-raised meat samples. Little did we know that she would gift us this timely and delicious recipe for… Read more »