Alright, so it's time for an update on this, I guess. I've been going around all week trying to choose what rub, what style, even how to cook this - roasted, smoked low and slow, do it like prime rib, what?
Anyways, I pulled it out of the freezer to defrost and found out, this wasn't a 4-4.5lb roast like I thought. This thing is seven and a half pounds. Wow. Ok, then. I placed it in a water bath in my meat fridge overnight - that settled that. Thawed. W00T.
As I mentioned somewhere up above, my family and I just aren't all that hot on the rosemary and thyme flavor profile, like in the Simon & Garfunkel rub. I know this is the 'traditional' profile, along with garlic and butter, that a lot of people do with lamb. I just don't think that's for us. I did some more research, was thinking more along the lines of some Mediterranean spices, some cinnamon and clove, maybe coriander... but I just kept coming back to a southwest theme. I don't know, it just wouldn't let go of me. I can't explain it, I mean, this is a popular thing in my house, but on lamb... I just don't know. Finally, I figured, what the hell, something is tugging at me. Seriously, it was like... like the Voice of God. Like your conscience. Like an ancestor whispering in your ear, or in the back of your mind... ok, yeah, right. Whatever.
I decided to make it up on the fly, so here is the rub I kind of started with. This is my base rub for tri-tip, which is incredible on those little steaks. Oh my gosh. It is so freaking good on tri-tip. Seriously.
Tri tip rub
INGREDIENTS
* 2-2 1/2 pound Tri-Tip Roast
* 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons onion powder
* 2 teaspoons black pepper
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
I made up a double batch of this, and then I actually ended up doubling the cumin, I think. Then I also added a teaspoon of ground coriander, so it would be a half in that above recipe. Then, on a whim, I also added in 2 tablespoons of dried Mexican oregano. Not regular oregano - if you haven't tried Mexican, it is a bit different. I don't know what it is, can't put my finger on it, but there is something different about Mexican style oregano. Also, for the chili powder, I used ground ancho chili powder, a little more robust than the standard generic chili powder.
Then I cleaned up my leg of lamb, I left most of the fat cap on it, but I scored it heavily, deep into the muscle. I removed a couple of pieces of fatty stringy tissue from the inside that could have been the 'glands' some people talk about. I dunno. Then I salted it well, as this is a big piece of meat, and I didn't think that rub was going to be enough salt by itself. Then I sprinkled it heavily, rubbed it in everywhere, tucked it back into itself and considered tying it up, but decided not to. It seems big enough, it looks like it will hold itself in fairly good shape, hell, this is essentially the same size and shape as a boneless pork butt. I'm actually afraid now that I didn't give myself enough time to get it cooked in time for a late lunch/early dinner. I don't know, we'll see.
I threw it on the pellet smoker. I'd rather do it on The Duk (my backyard offset), but I am low on wood and didn't bring any home with me from the shop, and what I do have is soaking wet, as it's been raining here for 2 days. I just didn't want to be traipsing in and out in the cold and the wet and the mud. Oh well. I'm a slacker, running a pellet grill. Yay me. lol
I'm not sure how this is going to come out. I think I'm going to cook it all the way up to 200ºF or so. Probably kind of do it like a pork butt, get a good bark/crust on it, then pan and cover it and carry it to probe tender, let it rest a bit and pull it and eat it on tortillas as tacos, maybe either make some kind of tzatziki sauce or a chimichurri or something for it.
I'm flying blind with no instruments. Just... winging it. lol
Keeping my fingers crossed!
Anyways, I pulled it out of the freezer to defrost and found out, this wasn't a 4-4.5lb roast like I thought. This thing is seven and a half pounds. Wow. Ok, then. I placed it in a water bath in my meat fridge overnight - that settled that. Thawed. W00T.
As I mentioned somewhere up above, my family and I just aren't all that hot on the rosemary and thyme flavor profile, like in the Simon & Garfunkel rub. I know this is the 'traditional' profile, along with garlic and butter, that a lot of people do with lamb. I just don't think that's for us. I did some more research, was thinking more along the lines of some Mediterranean spices, some cinnamon and clove, maybe coriander... but I just kept coming back to a southwest theme. I don't know, it just wouldn't let go of me. I can't explain it, I mean, this is a popular thing in my house, but on lamb... I just don't know. Finally, I figured, what the hell, something is tugging at me. Seriously, it was like... like the Voice of God. Like your conscience. Like an ancestor whispering in your ear, or in the back of your mind... ok, yeah, right. Whatever.
I decided to make it up on the fly, so here is the rub I kind of started with. This is my base rub for tri-tip, which is incredible on those little steaks. Oh my gosh. It is so freaking good on tri-tip. Seriously.
Tri tip rub
INGREDIENTS
* 2-2 1/2 pound Tri-Tip Roast
* 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
* 2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons onion powder
* 2 teaspoons black pepper
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
I made up a double batch of this, and then I actually ended up doubling the cumin, I think. Then I also added a teaspoon of ground coriander, so it would be a half in that above recipe. Then, on a whim, I also added in 2 tablespoons of dried Mexican oregano. Not regular oregano - if you haven't tried Mexican, it is a bit different. I don't know what it is, can't put my finger on it, but there is something different about Mexican style oregano. Also, for the chili powder, I used ground ancho chili powder, a little more robust than the standard generic chili powder.
Then I cleaned up my leg of lamb, I left most of the fat cap on it, but I scored it heavily, deep into the muscle. I removed a couple of pieces of fatty stringy tissue from the inside that could have been the 'glands' some people talk about. I dunno. Then I salted it well, as this is a big piece of meat, and I didn't think that rub was going to be enough salt by itself. Then I sprinkled it heavily, rubbed it in everywhere, tucked it back into itself and considered tying it up, but decided not to. It seems big enough, it looks like it will hold itself in fairly good shape, hell, this is essentially the same size and shape as a boneless pork butt. I'm actually afraid now that I didn't give myself enough time to get it cooked in time for a late lunch/early dinner. I don't know, we'll see.
I threw it on the pellet smoker. I'd rather do it on The Duk (my backyard offset), but I am low on wood and didn't bring any home with me from the shop, and what I do have is soaking wet, as it's been raining here for 2 days. I just didn't want to be traipsing in and out in the cold and the wet and the mud. Oh well. I'm a slacker, running a pellet grill. Yay me. lol
I'm not sure how this is going to come out. I think I'm going to cook it all the way up to 200ºF or so. Probably kind of do it like a pork butt, get a good bark/crust on it, then pan and cover it and carry it to probe tender, let it rest a bit and pull it and eat it on tortillas as tacos, maybe either make some kind of tzatziki sauce or a chimichurri or something for it.
I'm flying blind with no instruments. Just... winging it. lol
Keeping my fingers crossed!
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