Whether or not you are a fan of lamb, the fact remains that the meat of a young sheep (especially its leg – called the ham) is one of the most delicious meals in the world. And when smoked with a good smoker, the tenderness, juiciness, and sweetness of the meat are brought to life on your taste buds. But if you are not careful, you might end up with dry and burnt meat on your plate. So, there are a few things you need to know before placing your piece of meat in the smoker. Luckily in this article, we have provided all you need to know about a smoked leg of lamb, from the cut to the buying, preparation, recipe, and presentation. And who knows, this might come in handy during one of those holiday dinners where you want a smoked lamb served at the table.
Let’s begin from the cut – the physical appearance of the meat. The cut is from the leg of the lamb (which is the young sheep), and it is located at the top and bottom area of the rear leg bone. It is usually soft and tender, with thin layers of fat covering the meat. The top area is fattier and has a sirloin end which cools more evenly and is more render. The lower part of the lamb’s leg is less fatty and is harder to carve, but both parts still serve great health benefits.
Also, the lamb leg can come as boneless or with a bone-in. This depends on preference. There are no obvious benefits and disadvantages of having the bone-in or not; it’s just the two varieties that lamb leg comes in.
Finally, the cut can be prepared with or without the fat peeled off. Some prefer the fat because it makes the meat juicier since it tends to melt during cooking. At the same time, others cut off the fat because, well, too much fat. Whether or not the fat is added, your lamb meat will still taste good as long as you add the right amount of spice and flavor to the meat during rubbing (we will get to that in a bit).
You’d thank us right after this section. You’ll see. If you have been going to a grocery store to buy lamb meat, then you have been making a huge mistake and should stop at once. For a lot of people that say they don’t like a lamb, it’s probably because it wasn’t the right meat to begin with. Most of the lamb meat sold in grocery stores is not even lamb. It’s probably sheep or mutton (old sheep).
So, to pick and buy the best lamb meat, especially when you want to make smoked lamb leg for your guests at any dinner or picnic, go to a rancher or a butcher that is in the business of lamb. They would be aware of when the lamb is ripe, and its meat is at the right stage. One way to know when your lamb meat is right is when it smells fresh. One good thing about buying it from a butcher is that you can dictate if you want boneless or the bone-in cut.
This is the stage where you decide how your smoked leg of lamb would come out after putting it in your favorite smoker. This step involves the preparation of your piece of meat for smoking. After you have bought the meat, bring it home, and place it on a wooden or metal tray.
Normally, your roast should come with a silver-toned skin at the top of the piece (you should see this if you have bought the right kind of meat). The skin looks similar to fat, and it gets very tough after smoking, so it is best to remove this later while preparing your piece of meat.
To remove this later, use a very sharp filet or boning knife to cut away the piece gradually and gently. After this, you can take a look at the overall shape of your meat piece. You are allowed to use the knife to cut away pieces of meat that are hanging along the sides of the whole roast, making the shape irregular.
When the trimming is done, you can move on to coating with oil and lamb rubbing. Ensure that your roast is at room temperature before doing any of the things mentioned above.
The Lamb rub consists of all the ingredients and spices that you would use to rub the surface of the lamb. It is also what adds to the taste and flavor of the lamb. These spices get soaked into the meat during smoking and deliver a tasty meal full of flavor.
Depending on the size of your roast, you would need varying quantities of the following:
Above are the main ingredients, but you can always add any other seasoning you’d love to use. Make sure that your rub is enough to fully cover the two sides of your roast.
The best way to smoke the leg of a lamb is to use the reverse sear method. Not familiar with this? It is when you first begin smoking at a low temperature. Then you increase the temperature to induce a delicious crust when the roast is almost done. But that’s not all about smoking lamb. To enjoy the result of your smoked lamb, follow the steps below:
It’s not just first-timers that can get it wrong with knowing when the lamb is done. That’s why there is a recommended safety zone Trusted Source Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart | Food Safety and Inspection Service Minimum Internal Temperature & Rest Time – 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes www.fsis.usda.gov for the cooking of lamb.
The recommended temperature for a well-cooked lamb leg is around 130 to 140°F.
A smoked leg of lamb is better paired with a sauce than eaten ordinary. The sauce would add extra spice, taste, and flavor to the already delicious smoked lamb. And one of the many sauces taken with lamb leg is the Garlic Butter Sauce. Extra-delicious, rich in nutrients, and juicy, below is the recipe for garlic butter sauce to serve with your roast.
Just as you would other meat types, slice the meat according to meat lines so that you don’t end up messing the slices up. Slice in thin layers (but not too thin). And when you get to the area with bones, cut in larger pieces.
Apart from the fact that lamb meat has many health benefits Trusted Source Effect of beta-alanine supplementation on muscle carnosine concentrations and exercise performance - PubMed High-intensity exercise results in reduced substrate levels and accumulation of metabolites in the skeletal muscle. The accumulation of these metabolites (e.g. ADP, Pi and H(+)) can have deleterious effects on skeletal muscle function and force generation, thus contributing to fatigue. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov , it is very tasty, especially when it is bought from the right place and cooked the right way. There are also many recipes to try with a smoked leg of lamb, as well as the sauce. You can have your lamb roast with many drink types such as beer, cocktail, fruit juice, or even mineral water. It is also a meal that can be taken during dinner with guests or as a homemade snack. So whether or not you are having your lamb roast with a bone-in or as boneless meat, you can enjoy a good meal with different other food types, including potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables.
