Any advice on smoking this lamb?


 
K

Kendra

TVWBB Member
I bought a 5 pound bone-in leg of lamb yesterday at Food Lion. It was 50% off. In the past I've grilled lamb chops a few times and they turn out ok. (Not that great in my opinion.) I can't say we don't like lamb, but I not that excited about making this.

ANYWAY, this roast has a layer of fat around most of it. Do I trim some of that off? I thought I'd leave it alone and make some slits through it to get the seasonings in.

I am planning on doing a garlic smash rub that I saw Tom Raveret post here. Then I'll let it sit till tomorrow. He said that was for one prepared on a rotisserie. I guess I'll try it smoked on the WSM. I'm going to use as little olive oil as possible. I don't want to block all the smoke flavor.

I'll just repost it here to be seen easily.
12 (or more) cloves of Garlic smashed
1 TBSP dried oregano (preferably greek)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 TBSP dried thyme
2 TBSP Kosher salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Put all in blender or food proscessor and run until you have a paste. Smear the paste over the leg of lamb.
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I want to be able to pull this off the WSM around 4-5pm so it has time to rest before we eat. When would you start it? (It will be raining tomorrow, but the temp will be in the low 50's.) I guess I'll smoke around 225-250. I thought I'd pull it off around 165-170 degrees. (Med-Med Well) Advice? Opinions?

I will say my husband doesn't like rare meat. He can tolerate a little pink. I usually give him the parts that are cooked more. I like medium. Thanks for any help. I haven't a clue when it comes to lamb.

Now I have to figure out what other meat to smoke with it.
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Kendra, you have some fine flavors to work with. You may be better off doing a high heat cook rather than low. Lately, I've cooked my boneless legs sort of butterflied on the grill. For a bone in roast I would recommend 325-350* on the wsm.
 
LOL! I do have a rotisserie on the gasser, but I thought I'd smoke it to mask some of the lamb taste.
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Maybe too late here, but trim the exterior fat off entirely if you are looking to decrease the 'lamb-iness' of the lamb. Then you can make slits and work some of the paste into them. A sauce of, say, some reduced wine with a fruit component (like currants or dried berries) can also help with the finished flavor.
 
Changing plans here. It's extremely windy out. Winds 25-30mph with frequent gusts up to 45mph. Unbelievable.

I set up the rotisserie and have it going on there. I did trim off most of the exterior fat after I saw your post this morning Kevin. I scraped off the garlic mash and then put it back on. That stuff smells great!

I threw in a few little pieces of wood on the sides. Don't know if it'll make much of a smoke taste, but it can't hurt.

I'll pull if off around earlier than I had planned to. Around 150, or whenever the mood strikes me. It's hard knowing how to cook something you've never really cooked or eaten before. Thanks for the help. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

I have like one cup of wine left. Not enough to reduce to make a sauce I suppose.
 
Yes it is. Sweat some minced onion or, better, shallot in a little unsalted butter over low heat till softened, several minutes. Add a minced clove of garlic and tiny pinches of the herbs from your paste. Increase the heat to med-high and cook, stirring, till the garlic is very fragrant but not browned, about 45 secs. Add the wine all at once along with, say, a third-cup of currants or chopped dried berries, optionally. Cook till the wine is reduced by about 3/4 then add 3/4 c low-salt chicken stock and reduce the liquid contents by half. Whisk in 1 T of Dijon till smooth then remove from the heat. Purée in a blender if desired.

When the lamb is done remove to a pan to rest, tented with foil, about 25-30 min. At the 20 min mark bring the sauce to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Add some of the juices--1-4 Tbs--from the pan (move the roast to a platter or piece of foil and just dump from the pan). Stir well then add a little honey. Remove the pan from the heat then stab a tablespoon of cold butter with a fork and stir the sauce with the butter, allowing the butter to melt and emulsify as you stir (don't be too vigorous but don't stir slowly--you want emulsification). Repeat with another piece of butter (if the sauce has cooled too much and the butter won't melt well periodically return the pan to low heat to warm the sauce a bit). Adjust thickness with chicken stock, if necessary, add a little pepper to taste, and adjust salt.

Slice the lamb thinly, plate, drizzle with a little sauce, then serve, perhaps sprinkled with just a bit of crumbled feta--or not.
 
Well...

The lamb was delicious! Frankly, I was surprised. (I thought it would be too lamby...) My one son said it was the best steak he'd ever eaten. It really tasted perfect.

I made the sauce with a mixture of dried berries and it turned out good too.

Thanks so much! I'll make this again.
 
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