Smoked lamb

[cordex]

My neighbor gave me a butchered lamb as a thank you for watching his farm while his son was being born.  Not a ton of meat, but absolutely delicious.

So far I've been cooking everything on the pellet grill except the lamburgers, which I just grilled.  I've mostly just seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder then cooked at around 250 until it hits an internal temperature of 135.  Everything has been tender and fantastic.  It cuts off the bone easily, and has excellent flavor.  I seared the chops on my propane grill after smoking, but the leg of lamb I just cranked the heat on the pellet grill a bit as I got closer to 135.

I didn't spring for the fully connected and remote-control Traeger and instead went cheap with a Cuisinart grill, but I'm thinking about getting a wifi-enabled thermometer so I can be less tethered to the grill when I'm cooking.  I have one with an alarm that goes off when it hits a set temp, but can easily be far enough away I can't hear it.

I've already asked the neighbor to raise me a head of beef but I'm also seriously thinking about buying a whole lamb from him once we run out of meat from this one.

[Ben]

I used to hate lamb - there was a smell that about made me nauseous. Then I had some at a Moroccan restaurant, and man, did that change my mind. 

[cordex]

I used to hate lamb - there was a smell that about made me nauseous. Then I had some at a Moroccan restaurant, and man, did that change my mind.

Maybe this lamb was heavily grain fed or something, but it doesn't have any off-putting odor or taste at all.  My mom roasts leg of lamb or rack of lamb every now and then and often I notice a tiny bit of gaminess to it, but you could tell me that this stuff is really high-end tiny beef and I'd almost believe you.

Probably going to cook another leg this weekend.  If you're in the area stop by and we'll see if I can compete with the Moroccans.

[K Frame]

I used to hate lamb - there was a smell that about made me nauseous. Then I had some at a Moroccan restaurant, and man, did that change my mind. 

Don't worry, those lambs also hate you...

I LOVE lamb, always have. I even like mutton, and that's really strong.

[Ben]

Probably going to cook another leg this weekend.  If you're in the area stop by and we'll see if I can compete with the Moroccans.

 

[Kingcreek]

We like lamb. My wife does a Mediterranean dry rub on a boned/rolled leg of lamb that I cook on charcoal. It gets crispy on the outside and wonderfully rare and tender inside.
If you’re going to get a Bluetooth temp probe get a 2 probe one. I think mine is a gobee or something like that. I can monitor smoker or grill temp same time as meat temp and set my alarms. Works great.

[MillCreek]

Several times a year we buy a boneless rolled leg of lamb from New Zealand from Costco.  We love it.  There are a lot of lambs raised in Central Washington and I have always wondered why it is so hard to find lamb locally.  We are lucky if we can consistently find lamb chops at the local supermarkets, much less anything more exotic than that.

[Kingcreek]

I can buy local lamb and I have several times but it has become almost impossible to get a locker appointment for processing. We used to have one that would dry age for 3 weeks- it was wonderful and they were great people. Last one I tried was a big disappointment. When I asked about aging the lamb carcass, she said "What do you mean? We take them in on tuesday and butcher on wednesday." We had agreed to buy in the winter and the grower made that summer appointment without checking with us giving us any choice in lockers. Now I just buy it at costco.

[K Frame]

Here in Northern Virginia lamb is almost as expensive as beef tenderloin most of the time. It's ludicrous. Occasionally you can find a sale, but not often. Around Easter full leg of lamb will be on sale, but if you ask the market to cut and wrap it into roasts for you? They don't do that anymore. No butcher's service.

[Northwoods]

Several times a year we buy a boneless rolled leg of lamb from New Zealand from Costco.  We love it.  There are a lot of lambs raised in Central Washington and I have always wondered why it is so hard to find lamb locally.  We are lucky if we can consistently find lamb chops at the local supermarkets, much less anything more exotic than that.

If you ever want a 20-30lb whole lamb let me know.  I’m sure we could agree on a reasonable price.

[cordex]

We did one of the big leg roasts yesterday. Barely trimmed it, seasoned it with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and smoked it for about four hours. I overdid the salting a bit, but it was still good.  My oldest daughter, my son, and I ate what we could and have plenty of leftovers.

I can’t get over how tender the big roast is. I’m not sure how much is cooking method and how much is the animal’s natural tenderness, but it has been fantastic.

[Kingcreek]

I can’t get over how tender the big roast is. I’m not sure how much is cooking method and how much is the animal’s natural tenderness, but it has been fantastic.

It’s both. We use the wife’s Mediterranean dry rub over night and cook over hot charcoal for about 20 minutes per side. Let it rest another 20 minutes and it is tender inside, seared with a fine crusty rind on the outside. It was best when we had the locker that would dry age 3 weeks. Huge difference between that and overnight.

[Northwoods]

It’s both. We use the wife’s Mediterranean dry rub over night and cook over hot charcoal for about 20 minutes per side. Let it rest another 20 minutes and it is tender inside, seared with a fine crusty rind on the outside. It was best when we had the locker that would dry age 3 weeks. Huge difference between that and overnight.

Extended dry aging is very key.

[Kingcreek]

Extended dry aging is very key.

But we can’t find a locker that will do it anymore.
 Almost none that will do lamb any way.
Thanks to the gubmint. They have to have state and federal inspectors and vets on hand to certify and then do a complete tear down and sterilize, ceiling to floor drains, before they can set up for beef or pork. More inspections and inspectors more fees. The locker we really liked stopped lamb first. The next year they stopped beef slaughter and went to purchased cold trucks of hanging carcass because they got written up and got a fine from an inspector.
The reason?
He was standing in the retail store space and heard steers bawling as they were being unloaded way around back in a different building and area. The “sound” of the live animals could be offensive to some soccer mom picking out her chuck roast.

[Northwoods]

But we can’t find a locker that will do it anymore.
 Almost none that will do lamb any way.
Thanks to the gubmint. They have to have state and federal inspectors and vets on hand to certify and then do a complete tear down and sterilize, ceiling to floor drains, before they can set up for beef or pork. More inspections and inspectors more fees. The locker we really liked stopped lamb first. The next year they stopped beef slaughter and went to purchased cold trucks of hanging carcass because they got written up and got a fine from an inspector.
The reason?
He was standing in the retail store space and heard steers bawling as they were being unloaded way around back in a different building and area. The “sound” of the live animals could be offensive to some soccer mom picking out her chuck roast.

And this why I want my own walk in cooler.  Whether I raise it, hunt it, or buy it I can hang the carcass for as long I like.

[cordex]

I’m not sure how much is cooking method and how much is the animal’s natural tenderness, but it has been fantastic.

I've been smoking these meats again.  Venison rear leg roast this time, from a mature buck I got last year.  Again, tender and delicious.  Far more so than I'd have ever guessed for a venison roast.

A local company sells a salt/pepper/garlic/spices mix I've been using as a rub.

Totally a smoker convert.