Smoking spring lamb?

[ExpatCanadian]

Hello all,

Gearing up for my weekend smoke....  but want to try something I haven't done yet, and being the UK and this time of year, there is a LOT of lamb about.  Anyone have any good lamb experiences to share?  I'm particularly curious about using a whole lamb shoulder for something similar to pulled or sliced pork shoulder....

My local butcher gets his bi-weekly lamb shipment in today from their Yorkshire farm....  so I'm planning to stop in on my way home in a few hours.

TDC

[NePaSmoKer]

Use some Alder pucks if ya got em.

nepas

[Wildcat]

I have done leg of lamb a couple of times.  Used maple once and apple once.  Can't help with seasoning because in my area all I can find is pre-seasoned packaged lamb.  What ever they are using is good.  I think there are a couple of members here that have experience with seasoning lamb.

[Caneyscud]

I've smoked lamb chops a few times - they were a real treat - last time marinated in a chipotle, lime, cilantro mixture!
Smoked stuffed lamb breast that was ok - only because the stuffing was not real good
Smoked lamb ribs - man are they fat, but pretty darn good eats -  hit them with a rub (don't remember which) and lots of pepper and some salt - for some reason the ladies liked them.  
And I like to smoke leg, but I like to debone and butterfly - lamb spatchcock?  That way it doesn't take as long and more surface to absorb smoke flavor.  Usually go simple on the rub - just slather with oil (walnut oil is good) and sprinkle with garlic (fresh or granulated), salt and pepper.  Timing and when to pull change almost everytime I do it.  It is usually tender enough, so don't have to go too low or too slow.  Butterflied like this it can be smokey grillied almost, especially since I like it rare!  

I think I've used hickory, hackberry, oak, and mesquite on it at different times.  I recently bought some Cherry pucks just for an idea I had for doing my next lamb leg.  

Never smoked a whole lamb shoulder - never have I noticed one for sale.  Must be good eats and you Brits and New Zealanders must keep them to yourselves.  ;D  (sorta like the Cali's do with tri-tip) My Dad's family is from the Hill Country of Texas and own some pretty good sized ranches (20,000 acres) and years ago when we had a reunion - man, there was some barbecue cooked.  It would take two or three days to cook as there was half calves, whole hogs, and whole goat, whole deer, whole wild turkey, whole javelina, fresh sausages, etc.... but my favorite was the whole lamb.  Only time I had access to eat it and I took advantage of the opportunity.  Definitely low and slow over Oak - probably a mixture of Live Oak and Post Oak with some Mesquite thrown in for good measure - and if my memory serves, there was no fancy rub, just salt and pepper - and a whole lot of a mustard, beer, lemon, butter, onion mop!  To give you some idea of how much meat this was and how big of a pit, the mopping sauce was kept in a wash tub and a normal mop like you would use on the floor was used to to mop everything.  The lambs, as well as the rest of the carcasses were laid out flat over the pit.  Man that was tasty.

[ExpatCanadian]

Wow Caney...  I'm drooling just reading all that.  Lamb is naturally (well, this time of year anyway) a pretty tender & sweet meat...  I'd only eaten it a few times in my life before I moved to the UK, and must admit it really wasn't my favourite.  I was raised on T-Bones and Ribeyes we produced ourselves...

Think I'm gonna go with your suggestion of a butterflied leg.... if he's still got one, they go quickly.  Otherwise it'll be a whole shoulder.

I went to a wedding a number of years back where they did a couple of whole spit roasted lambs (no smoke though) and my favourite parts were the ribs....  for some reason everyone else left them behind!  Ate my fill of them....  they weren't fatty at all, they were almost crispy they were so well done, so all the fat had gone by then I guess, but man were they good.

[OU812]

Being the carnivore that I am I have never tried Lamb.

Would be willing to try it some time if I had a failsafe way of cooking it for the first time.

Don't hardly even see it in the store's around here in eastern Nebraska.

[ExpatCanadian]

Hey wow...  I've gotten so used to relying on you guys for all things smoke related that I momentarily forgot about that thing out there called Google  :D ... anyway, guess whose got EXACTLY what I am looking for??  Go figure...  and the recipe is from a Canadian guy too!

That's not to say I'm still not looking for any of your own suggestions....  but this is looking pretty good for a weekend smoke!  Gonna have to substitute the Dizzy Pig for somethin' else, but whatever....

[Wildcat]

Being the carnivore that I am I have never tried Lamb.

Would be willing to try it some time if I had a failsafe way of cooking it for the first time.

Don't hardly even see it in the store's around here in eastern Nebraska.

Season and smoke it.  145 is rare, 160 is medium, and 170 is well done.  As a first time, perhaps simply rub with oil and apply salt and pepper (possibly some onion) to give you a basic natural taste.  If you like it then experiment.

[OU812]

What would be the cut to look for?
Shoulder, leg or ?

[Wildcat]

I have only had leg myself.  It is great.  The small amount of lamb that I can find is primarily bonless leg.  I do see chops and ribs every once in a while, but have not picked any up yet.

[Caneyscud]

What would be the cut to look for?
Shoulder, leg or ?

In most part of the States, it will be hard to find anything except a leg or some chops or a rack.  Unless you have a well-stocked International Meat Market, then you might find a shoulder.  The Wallyworlds around here usually have leg, chops, rack, ribs, breast most of the time.

[car54]

 Lamb is one of my favorites.Here is a link to a recipe that I have used about 4 times.
I buy my lamb from Walmart. They sell a semi boneless leg of lamb.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=2046.0

Here is a link on butterflying a leg. your butcher could also do it.

http://www.showmehowtodothis.com/meat/cooking-how-to-butterfly-a-leg-1.html

Brad

[OU812]

Thanks all
Looks like I'm looking for a leg.

TDC
I will be quietly waiting to see how your weekend turns out.

[ExpatCanadian]

Well guys, I'm off to a flying start after a very successful visit to my butcher!  I do feel a little bit sorry for you all not having access to the choice of lamb cuts we have over here.... I know I'm going to miss it when I do eventually move back to Canada.  Anyway, here are a few pics to start things off.  Haven't done anything yet with them, they are in the fridge patiently waiting tomorrow evening when I'll start rubbing!! (The lamb that is... :D :D ;D ;D)

So I bought a whole bone-in shoulder...  2.3kg or just over 5lb:



And almost as an aside I asked my butcher if he had any lamb ribs, and he said sure, I have a half breast of lamb, he normally just strips the meat off and uses it for Lamb mince (ground)...  he doesn't even sell these pieces by weight, they're just a flat £3.00 each!  So I had to get one to try:



Can't wait for the weekend!  Now, who shall I invite....  or is it gonna just be the wife and me and lots of leftovers!!?

[OU812]

TDC
That looks just like the front shoulder of a Deer.
Got me a thinken now (aim back just a little more)