Gooey sacks in lamb's fat.

[miles]

Hey. Has anyone else found gooey sacks in lamb's fat? In pretty much every shoulder I've had there's at least one of these(quite big), and in the one leg I had there was one too. I can't find via Google search what these are, and nor have any butchers yet been able to tell me, or even seem to know about them but just say 'oh well I guess it must just be a different kind of fat', and reply as if I'm crazy for asking... I'm interested to know if it's something I should avoid eating, or the opposite.

[michaelwh]

I've seen and eaten these things. They're definitely not "a different kind of fat". They don't taste like fat at all. They taste like some kind of gland or organ. I don't know what they are, but intuitively I think that they're good to eat.

[miles]

That's what I thought, that they were some sort of gland. When I suggested that's what I thought it could be to one butcher he got all defensive and disgusted at the suggestion and assured me 'it's nothing like that', despite himself having no idea what it was...

I wanted confirmation though that it was something like this as opposed to being a store of toxins or something, since I'm personally undecided on the taste. It's not obviously good or obviously bad to me. I don't want to be missing out though, if it's something good...

[Raw Kyle]

What gland or organ would anatomically be near or in the shoulder? I have seen the same thing and it tastes earthy like organs and feels squishy also like organs.

[Josh]

Could it be the lymph nodes near the shoulder?

[miles]

LOL@YOU.COM Apparently they are cysts.

[Arthas_]

I'm pretty sure those are parasites in fat tissue. I find them once in a while in the beef back fat I purchase.