Easy Lamb Smoking Tips

Lamb smoking tips

Smoking lamb is an easy way to add a layer of delicious flavor that is often missing from lamb dishes. But it can be difficult to know how to ensure your smoked lamb turns out great.

To help you avoid common mistakes and get the best results, we’ve created this helpful guide to smoking lamb. Whether you’re smoking a crown rib roast or a rack of lamb, these tips will ensure your smoked meat turns out perfectly.

1. Preheat Your Smoker

Before you can even start smoking lamb, your smoker needs to be properly prepared. This means heating your smoker to a temperature of 225 degrees or more, setting up a water pan below the grates and making sure it’s well lit.

Regardless of your smoking method, you’ll need a hot smoker to ensure your meat is cooked through and doesn’t dry out too quickly. You can use charcoal, cooking wood or smoking chunks to control the temperature of your smoker or grill.

For lamb shoulder, a smoker at 107 – 120degc (225 – 250 deg F) is ideal. The meat should cook for 8 hours until it reaches an internal temperature of 195degc.

2. Marinate

A simple marinade made with fresh rosemary, garlic and lemon juice makes for an excellent smoked leg of lamb. The herbs and spices add flavor without overwhelming the meat.

For this dish, you need a good cut of lamb such as a shoulder roast or bone-in or boneless leg. If you are using a boneless cut, make sure to tie it with butcher’s twine for uniform thickness.

Rinse the lamb well and pat it dry. Next, make several deep incisions with a sharp knife in the fat side of the meat.

Insert pieces of fresh rosemary into each incision. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and chill 24 hours, turning occasionally.

3. Smoke

Smoked lamb shoulder is a classic recipe, and it’s pretty easy to cook. You’ll need a smoker temperature of 107 – 120degc (225 – 250degF), and it will take around 7 hours to fully cook.

Once it’s cooked, you can cut the shoulder into thin slices and serve. The best part is it’s incredibly tender and moist.

This smoked leg of lamb is easy to prepare and brushed with a delicious garlic herb marinade. The meat is left to slowly melt in the smoker, making it tender and juicy.

Andrew Zimmern uses natural hardwood charcoal to infuse the meat with a delicious smoky flavor. If you don’t have charcoal, use a gas grill or electric smoker with a smoker box.

4. Sear

Smoking lamb ribs is an excellent way to turn this tender, flavorful cut into buttery-tender morsels. The fat will slowly render and seep into the meat, adding an exquisite smoky flavor that you won’t be able to resist.

A simple dry rub of salt, black pepper and rosemary can do wonders for this dish. You should liberally apply the rub all over the meat, getting in every crevice and fold.

Once the shoulder is smoked, cover it with foil to keep the heat in. This will speed up the process of the fat melting.

5. Rest

After smoking the lamb, let it rest for 15-20 minutes to let the fat melt and redistribute. This is an easy way to ensure that you get the most juiciness out of the meat.

After the lamb has rested, slice in even slices of 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick using a serrated knife. If desired, serve the sliced meat with mint jelly (a favorite accompaniment of many people), or with other traditional chutneys and preserves, such as fig or peach. You can also serve the smoked lamb with mashed potatoes, or with vegetables, such as roasted asparagus, glazed carrots and parsnips, or fried brussels sprouts. You can also make a delicious sauce for your smoked lamb, by simmering the reserved marinade with dry sherry and a little Dijon mustard until it forms a thick paste.

Read more great BBQ articles at Bob's BBQ Tips


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