Been eating a lot of mutton lately, having finally found a local source.
(Not so common the the US, alas.) Cooking it several ways, I've noticed
that a lot of fat renders out very quickly on mild cooking; the rest
stays on much longer. I'm not sure, but it seems that the fat dispersed
throughout muscle melts quickly; the large lumps are more persistent. Is
this correct, or is something else going on?

I ask partly because I like to remove as much fat as possible from stews
to save calories. Another reason, though, is that I don't like to lose
flavors from vegetables, spices, etc. in stew or other preparations;
some of these are much more soluble in fat than in water. So I've been
cooking the meat alone until the first rendering is done, pouring off
fat, then adding everything else. Does this make sense to more
experienced cooks here?

Thanks-

Theo

(Still trying to find a way to cook rib roasts that leaves them tender...)