Adapting Zahav lamb shoulder for smoker

[das85]

Know several folks here have Zahav cookbook...I am taking another shot at the lamb shoulder this weekend. The recipe (https://andrewzimmern.com/recipes/th...lamb-shoulder/) helpfully suggests smoking it as they used to at their BBQ restaurant, but without specifics...so here is what I'm doing. Would love to hear suggestions from anyone who has or hasn't tried this! I started with a square cut shoulder, 4lb before trimming.

Dry brine (just kosher salt) for 36 hours
Rub with 2:1 black pepper to garlic powder, plus a touch of allspice powder
Smoke at 275 on the MAK for about 6.5 hours, internal temp 180 and stalled, nice bark
Move to roasting pan with 4 cups water, 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses, and some chickpeas
Cover with parchment, seal with foil, and into the oven at 300 for 2 more hours
Remove (internal temp now 208-210), vent steam, cool to room temp, and into the fridge overnight (photo is just before fridge)

Tomorrow I plan to finish uncovered in oven at 475, see if I can get the liquid thick enough, I think once I ended up removing lamb and simmering liquid on stove to reduce.

ecowper I know you'll like this one!

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Never heard of the place, but I'm adding this to the ever growing backlog of "to-do" cooks

[gboss]

If you find yourself in Philadelphia and can get a reservation to Zahav, go.

[Bad Hat BBQ]

All sounds like a great flavor profile

The only thing I question is the temps...180 is well done + ; Over cooked lamb is bad stuff

I am usually at the 145 range.....Am I missing something?

[das85]

Yeah this will be pulled/shredded. Lamb shoulder ends up like pork shoulder done this way.

[gboss]

I did a couple of lamb shoulder/shanks to pulling temp using Meathead's sunlite Kentucky mop and Dolly rub. It was fantastic. Friends who have had it still rave about it. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...mb-and-mutton/

Lamb shoulder has the connective tissue to take this kind of cooking.

[Attjack]

I'm doing my first lamb shoulder tomorrow and plan to take it all the way above 200 just like a pork shoulder.

[HawkerXP]

Looking forward to the results!

[Jim White]

Definitely will try this one soon. I bought a bunch of Persian ingredients a few months back and haven't yet cooked with the pomegranate molasses. But I have made crispy Persian rice dishes, so that will definitely turn up on the side.

I'm wondering if it's necessary to go all the way to bark formation on the first smoking step. Since it's followed by a braise, it seems like that bark will be mostly lost. I may only go an hour or two at 225 just to get good smoke into the meat and then do the braise. The final step at 475 seems like enough to crisp up the exterior.

[Jim White]

And as I think about this even further, I'm starting to obsess about a QVQ approach that could combine the meat color of a cook to 140-145 with the tenderness and fat rendering of braising. I don't have a vacuum sealer that would handle this large a piece of meat, so I could even think about an upgrade there...

[das85]

My take is that the braise is like a crutch, so if I get really good bark formation first then hoping it survives the braise. We'll see!

[das85]

gboss Bad Hat BBQ here are some photos from a lamb shoulder I did a couple weeks ago more Kentucky style... using Meathead's sunlite sauce and Oakridge SPOGOS rub. Rubbed, pre crutch, post crutch, and pulled. One of my favorite things to make, always a crowd pleaser including from people who have never had pulled lamb.

Will post results from today's cook after it finishes!

[Bad Hat BBQ]

Just like the Monkee's

I am a believer....

[Dr. Pepper]

Wow! Intriguing.

[ecowper]

I’m gonna have to try this one! Pomegranate molasses sounds awesome on lamb shoulder

[LA Pork Butt]

The two lamb shoulders I’ve done were cooked at 225 like a Boston Butt.

[das85]

Finished photos!

Removed from fridge today, skimmed the fat from the braising liquid, and popped in the oven uncovered at 475. Took it out every few mins to spoon some sauce over it. Removed and served after probably 45 mins.

Very happy with results. The lamb pulled/shredded nicely. The pomegranate flavor was clear but not overpowering. The bark came through excellent, despite the braise. Chickpeas good too.

The meat didn't feel glazed (like in the recipe photo) as the liquid was still too thin I think...next time might try reducing it further after the lamb comes out of the oven and pouring over just before serving.

Will certainly be doing this again. I did so much smoking in the last week of December that I almost got tired of eating BBQ, this made a nice change in flavor profile from the classics.

[Stuey1515]

das85 that looks great, nice job, salivating here

Dr. Pepper I have found that giving a couple of lamb shanks this sort of love, instead of big chunks of meat, makes for a good serving size for two

[das85]

Dr. Pepper I have had the one at Zahav and it was better than mine. But as "recreate the restaurant dish at home" recipes go, this was both not super hard and a pretty good imitation.

Stuey1515 that's a great idea re shanks. I got lucky receiving a relatively small square-cut shoulder, but will try again with shanks sometime..

[New Grexican]

Thanks for the timely post! I’m trying this myself this weekend. I’ve brined a 10 lb lamb shoulder for 2 days in a solution of salt, sugar, fennel seed, pink peppercorn, allspice, and minced garlic. Tomorrow I’ll throw it on the mill scale at 250-ish degrees for a few hours (haven’t decided how long), and will braise on the BGE.

[gboss]

In the immortal words of Pepa, "Here I go, here I go, here I go again"

[das85]

Nice - looking forward to photos as it progresses!

[gboss]

das85 Don't want to hijack your thread but since you're the OP and you're requesting them, I will add some progress pics.

[Troutman]

Somehow missed this one. I’m intrigued as well, love lamb and never touched a shoulder. Looks well worth the effort !!

[das85]

If you love both lamb and bbq, then I am betting you won't go wrong smoking a square cut shoulder to pulling temp.

The Zahav version is extra effort, but just a simple rub heavy on black pepper+garlic plus Meathead's "sunlite" sauce make an awesome result too. Smoke like a pork butt, just be prepared to crutch or it may never get to pulling.

[gboss]

Some progress photos of my attempt at this dish:

[Dr. Pepper]

That looks so good!

[gboss]

Top to bottom:

Post brine, added some additional seasoning.

After 3 hours in the smoke

Post roast

Post roast alt view

In the pan with pomegranate molasses on top

Two views of everything before it went in the oven for the braise.

[gboss]

das85 So, to answer your original question, I ended up smoking this over white oak for about 3 hours. It went from the fridge/brine directly onto the cooker. I then roasted it on a sheet rack at 475 for about 15 minutes, half of what the recipe calls for when not using smoke. Followed the recipe fairly closely after that for the braise and reheat. Reheat took 45 minutes, basting every 5 minutes, compared with the 30min of the recipe. I got a nice smoke ring. The smoke taste was subtle but noticeable. I have never had the original, so I'm not sure how close it actually is to the "real thing."

Recipe is under seasoned as written. Calls for "generous 1/4 cup salt" for the brine and I used a generous 1/3 instead and it still needed salt badly after being plated. But come to think of it, I needed more than 2 quarts of water to cover the shoulder so my salinity was not right. Didn't like the wet brine and will probably do dry next time. Or maybe I'll pay more attention to the brine salinity?

I'll caption the photos I posted earlier so they're a bit more descriptive.

[das85]

Interesting, sorry to hear about the under seasoning. I don't think I've ever tried it with wet brine - I just find wet brining a pain.

Beyond that, my top modification has been halve the water in braise to increase concentration of pomegranate molasses. Based on my recollection of restaurant and recipe photos, we want the braise to evolve into a glaze as water evaporates; or maybe just glaze with more molasses at the end? Have only managed that once to my satisfaction.

[gboss]

We were lucky enough to eat at Zahav and experience the real thing.

Going from memory of what mine tasted like, I got pretty close, but what we were served was absolutely perfect.

[das85]

Gorgeous...congrats and glad to hear it's still going strong, been years since I've been able to go.