Boneless Leg of Lamb: kissed with pecan smoke


 

Steve Petrone

TVWBB Diamond Member

The maiden voyage for my new E310 was just the other day.
Marinade of olive oil, garlic and rosemary, plus some other stuff.
4.8 lb. boneless leg of lamb.
Pecan chips in foil.

Start at 450 for 15 minutes used all three burners. Then reduce to a target temp of 325-350 with only the two outside burners on.
Managing temps was so easy.
Took 1 1/2 hours as expected
Had I pulled it at 130* it would have been perfect.
My wife likes medium...so I put back on till meat temp was 135*

Anyway after rest, it was delightful even if no real rare meat.

I am so impressed how easy-on my first cook-indirect cooking is.
superb temp control. Weber thermo was spot on too.
Using a natural gas grill with this level of control is a real treat. Couldn't be more pleased.
 
Last edited:
Lamb is a real tasty meat, I am with your wife there is no advantage to eating rare meat of any kind, if it there was you would eat your chicken and ham that same way.
 
Ham by virtue of it being "cured" meat does not have a "rare". Chicken cannot be consumed rare because of threat of salmonella. There are actually breeds of chicken now that do not have that threat and can be consumed "rare". Many years ago, pork had the threat of disease from being under cooked thanks to a parasite. My late uncle nearly died from it way back in the 50's. We no longer have his threat so mid rare pork is actually safe to consume. The advantage to consuming less than burnt offering is taste and tenderness. Again though this is a personal issue. For example what my wife makes me do to a beautiful steak literally makes me cry (or a burger for that matter). For instance when I make burgers for the family, I put hers on 20 to 30 minutes PRIOR to starting ours. And mind you unless I have freshly ground my own meat or had it done from a trusted butcher I do not serve a partially done burger but cook them to min 160F
 
Lamb is a real tasty meat, I am with your wife there is no advantage to eating rare meat of any kind, if it there was you would eat your chicken and ham that same way.

Sorry, overcooking lamb is just sad to my taste, medium rare at most cooked is as “done” as it needs for me, and that makes it an advantage! I prefer rare beef as well, again my advantage. Chicken, the food borne pathogens there are a completely different issue, and have nothing to do with “rare” in red meats. Rare cooked red meats are more enjoyable to me from a taste and texture standpoint, undercooked chicken can make you quite “unwell” to say the least.
As for ham, you can slice that stuff right out of the grocery store cooler! Unless you are referring to a “fresh ham” which isn’t a ham at all but a leg of pork.
For the record I’m told that there has not been a reported case of trichinosis since the mid fifties.
Larry bears that out by family history, I can’t speak to the chicken “rare” eating as, again from a texture standpoint it does not appeal to me.
 
Do be safe. The thermopen is your best friend. Max meat temp comes during rest and varies with meat mass and cook temp.
My preference for beef (not ground) and lamb is rare to med/rare. Chicken breasts over cooked are not enjoyable-I like them juicy, in fact I prefer dark chicken meat for flavor....

Easter meal has not been planned, busy with taxes.
 
I understand if you over cook any meat you have lost the flavor or taste. I like my lamb medium, and port the same way,chicken well done.
My wife on the other hand will not eat any meat if there is the color of blood in it.
So I cook hers longer than mine. It is just a matter of choice, and what you are use to, there is no wrong way to cook or eat meat, as long as you enjoy it.
 
Ate my fill of lamb when i worked in Jordan, and france.
Not that big fan honestly.
But its the main meat in much of the world. If exclude chicken.

It smells great, better than it eats. Imo.

Bedouin barbecue....is zarb, cooked in a 55 gal drum (today)buried in ground. Get fire going, put in racks of meat and vegetables, and pans rice, put lid on, cover with sand. Fire burns out and meat cooks in sealed drum for an hour.
 
Last edited:

 

Back
Top