Values for proximate composition, cholesterol, 23 fatty acids, eight inorganic nutrients and six water-soluble vitamins were determined in the separable lean of paired raw and roasted rib-loins and legs from 10 carcasses of 3-month-old ram lambs. Cooking losses (both evaporative and drip) were much lower in rib-loin, which underwent a quicker heating than leg. The percentage apparent retention was calculated for each nutrient. In general, nutrients susceptible to loss through drippings during cooking, i.e. minerals and water-soluble vitamins, were better retained in rib-loin than in leg. The reverse was true for several polyunsaturated fatty acids, whose lower retention in rib-loin than in leg was probably due to the former’s higher heating rate. The contribution of roasted lamb to the nutrient requirements of the consumer was noteworthy for oleic and linoleic acids, phosphorus, zinc and iron, vitamin B12, niacin and riboflavin.