I'm not very familiar with lamb. I got some shoulder chops a while back, cooked them in a crock pot, low and slow. I used a rub recipe I found online. The chops were very good. some don't like the taste of lamb,I didn't before, but now I do! so, now I have a boneless leg of lamb. I'm dry brining overnight. Will use a garlic thyme, rosemary rub as I did in the crock. I have almond, Apple acacia, oak, walnut, mullberry available to smoke it with. What wood is best for leg of lamb? Of course I could always go buy some other types. What is best on lamb?
If you ever get lamb steaks, try them in a cast iron pan with butter, garlic, and rosemary. Delish. Got that info from here.
So, it's not a smoking meat? I never noticed it in the store before. I'm seeing more of it lately. I also have an offer to trade a cord of oak firewood for two hundred pound lambs. It would be a good deal if not for the time and work involved in delivery two hours away. And I would have to slaughter and butcher them myself, something I have never done before.
Mr A Lamb is great just about any way you do it as long as you dont overcook it. I like my leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary. I use a shawarma seasoning on it a lot too which is great. Ive been wanting to try a balsamic glaze with a fig sauce but havent gotten around to it. Ive never tried smoking lamb but Im sure it could be done. I cook it in my Big Easy fryer a lot and it turns out great.
Get a pan with some olive oil started, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan a bit. The goal is to get the oil smoking hot (actually smoking a bit) preheat oven to 350° meanwhile, get some flour on a plate, any seasoning you feel like putting in the flour, do it, heavily. Dredge the lamb, both sides (any meat will do as well) and carefully place in the pan. Sear both sides, then put the meat in the oven to finish. Now, the sauce....... pull the hot pan from the heat and deglaze the pan with white wine. Add beef or chicken stock, reduce quite a bit, throw in a pat of butter and some black pepper to finish the sauce. Pour over your plated meat and experience fine dining at home.
Mr. A, I raise lamb and eat a lot of it. Like any other meat, some cuts are tough and fatty and do well with low and slow techniques like smoking, and some are leaner and should be cooked to your preferred done-ness, rare, med-rare, etc. For legs, I typically do something like Well Seasoned suggests. I would cook it med-rare and slice it like a roast. Lamb ribs, rack of lamb, shanks, neck...those are all great smoking cuts.
My favorite wood for smoking (especially beef) is Pecan. It's nutty and very sweet. I like oak for chicken. Cherry is good and pear is very mild. Hickory for ribs. Where you live might determine what woods you use. Where do you live Mr.A?
I think just about any of your common smoking woods will be fine I say go with what you like the best.
I'm going with valley oak that is a native white oak in northern California, and some rosemary twigs from a neighbors hedge. I have used this oak before on beef with good result. Smoking it on the kamado.
Ive been informed Im cooking a leg of lamb on Friday or Saturday Im going to try out Well Seasoned way as Ive never done that before.
My leg just hit 140f! Going to go get it out and eat it! It's a beautiful thing! Surprisingly, not many drippings. It had a good looking fat cap, but only about a tablespoon of drippings.
