For the lamb lovers...

[Dano]

From our time in New Zealand onwards my wife and I have been lamb lovers so I wanted to share this with the group.  We cook lamb more than we cook beef here and I often marinade it in a more 'kiwi'esque mix.  I've probably grilled a hundred lamb shoulder steaks(bone in) on the propane bbq using a pouch of wet mesquite wood chips and I keep coming back to this combination for a tasty lamb dinner.

Recipe: Minted Lamb Herb Marinade

2 lamb shoulder steaks or equiv weight(can even use lamb stewing chunks for skewering or a smaller roast/leg)
1/2 cup EVOO(extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed or fine minced
1 tbsp fresh fine chopped cilantro (optional - can add 1 tbsp dry or none at all if you're not a fan)
1 tbsp mint chutney (KFI has a mint chutney squeeze bottle we use)
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Mix marinade well
Place lamb in ziploc bag or plastic re-sealable container and pour marinade over lamb, turning or overhauling to ensure it's properly coated
Marinade 48 hours for a tougher cuts of lamb - overhauling once in the morning and at night. 
( can marinade for 24 hours if your using a younger or more tender cut of lamb, such as a shoulder steak but I still prefer the 2 days for lamb:) )

Enjoy!

[Habanero Smoker]

Looks like a good marinade. I'm not a fan of cilantro, but have a question about it, as it is listed in your recipe. You have 1 tbsp. of freshly chopped cilantro, or 1 tbsp. of dried. Is the 1 tbsp. dried correct, or should it be 1 tsp.

[NorthShoreMN]

Thanks for posting the marinade recipe. I cook quite a bit of lamb and will give this a try. Most likely will leave cilantro out or reduce it some.

[Wildcat]

I'm bookmarking this one. I love lamb but rarely get it. Like Habs, I am not a big fan of cilantro, but I can handle a very small amount. May need to make that a 1/3 portion of cilantro for my taste buds.

[Saber 4]

Looks good, I just wish we could get good lamb at decent prices down here.

[Ka Honu]

... wet mesquite wood chips ...

Looks good except, DON'T COOK WITH WET WOOD!!!

If you want to read it, there's a discussion of that particular bad habit here.

[Saber 4]

... wet mesquite wood chips ...

Looks good except, DON'T COOK WITH WET WOOD!!!

If you want to read it, there's a discussion of that particular bad habit here.

That was a good read, thanks for posting

[Dano]

About the cilantro, you can use fresh or dried.  We use a lot of cilantro(aka the leaf of a coriander plant) in cooking pasta sauces as well as with meat marinades and even on homemade pizzas and enjoy the taste but it's all about what you enjoy and what works for you.

I know it's a very small amount, but I use literaly one tablespoon of fresh fine chop.  It soaks up the evoo and lemon juice and imparts it's flavour nicely to the lamb(and you don't taste it much as the mint tends to overpower it).  You can also use 1 tablespoon dried.  I find dried cilantro(looks very similar to parsley) not as strong as the fresh stuff so if anything reduce the fresh amount.  I know it's a lot so modify to your liking.

You can opt out of it, or add parsley, or just use one teaspoon.  It's entirely up to you and what you enjoy.  Give it a shot without if you're not particular about it and you'll still end up with an incredible piece of marinaded lamb.    Costco lamb is good here although Sobeys and Zehrs occasionally have deals on lamb and that's when I raid the meat section. 

Regarding the woodchips, we buy the chipped mesquite among other flavours here at the hardware stores.  I tend to soak the wood for 15 mins or so and then drain, place in a small smoker box or tinfoil pouch with a hole in it and set it right on the propane bbq burner and close the hood.  I find it takes about 5 mins before you start to smell it then you have about 15 minutes to cook before the smoke becomes acrid and the wood catches fire.

***Remember that I am not using wet wood in my smoker OR in a proper wet smoker setup ... this is on the bbq, campfire or some other cooking source other than a smoker and I find it produces excellent results.  I have also used a foil pouch with dry mesquite chips on the burner but I find it goes acrid sooner.  Just my experience though.  I use smoke as a seasoning on the bbq which is different from the way the Bradley uses smoke or your Big Green Egg.  Only IMHO here all as this topic is as sensitive as politics...but people should do what they enjoy best( kind of like the cilantro )