I was surprised when I was looking to smoke a lamb shoulder the other day that there weren't more recipes posted. While I love most lamb parts, I figured there would be a predisposition to shoulder on the website, since that's a more forgiving cut, very similar to pork butt. Anyway, I adapted Meathead's recipe with great results. More of a French/Provence style recipe with my own concocted-on-fly red wine BBQ sauce. Happy to get any feedback.
rub/paste:
10 cloves garlic, diced
3 sprigs rosemary,
2 sprigs oregano
1 tbsp herbes de provence
1 tsp mustard seed (would probably exclude next time)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
grind up in coffee grinder with 1.5 tbsp water, 1.5 tbsp olive oil
lamb:
6lb, bone-in shoulder (Savenor's)
1.5-2 tbsp salt
cooking:
Salt lamb the night before. Cover bottom with paste and lay on grill, then cover the top of the lamb.
I put lamb on the grill shortly after starting the fire, so took at least an hour to hit 225. Then cooked around 250 for the next 5 hours. Meat stalled around 180 internal temp, so turned up the heat to around 300-325 for the last 45-60 minutes to hit low 190s internal temp. Also helped with the bark. Rotated the meat 180 degrees half way through the cook, but did not flip as I was afraid of losing bark. Really, really good. Rub was a little bitter, so might tweak that, maybe omit the mustard seed (or substitute with a few tbsp of dijon).
Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
half onion, 4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp herbe de provence
half bottle red wine
1-2 tbsp brown sugar (sweetness to taste)
nearly a full small can of tomato paste
S&P
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar (acid to taste, but keep in mind that the lamb is probably fattier than brisket or pork butt, so you'll really want to cut the fat with some acid)
Add ingredients in the order listed above, and simmer (except vinegar) for at least an hour on low heat. Add vinegar after sauce is off the heat, but still warm and stir in, tasting for preferred acidity.
rub/paste:
10 cloves garlic, diced
3 sprigs rosemary,
2 sprigs oregano
1 tbsp herbes de provence
1 tsp mustard seed (would probably exclude next time)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
grind up in coffee grinder with 1.5 tbsp water, 1.5 tbsp olive oil
lamb:
6lb, bone-in shoulder (Savenor's)
1.5-2 tbsp salt
cooking:
Salt lamb the night before. Cover bottom with paste and lay on grill, then cover the top of the lamb.
I put lamb on the grill shortly after starting the fire, so took at least an hour to hit 225. Then cooked around 250 for the next 5 hours. Meat stalled around 180 internal temp, so turned up the heat to around 300-325 for the last 45-60 minutes to hit low 190s internal temp. Also helped with the bark. Rotated the meat 180 degrees half way through the cook, but did not flip as I was afraid of losing bark. Really, really good. Rub was a little bitter, so might tweak that, maybe omit the mustard seed (or substitute with a few tbsp of dijon).
Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
half onion, 4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp herbe de provence
half bottle red wine
1-2 tbsp brown sugar (sweetness to taste)
nearly a full small can of tomato paste
S&P
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar (acid to taste, but keep in mind that the lamb is probably fattier than brisket or pork butt, so you'll really want to cut the fat with some acid)
Add ingredients in the order listed above, and simmer (except vinegar) for at least an hour on low heat. Add vinegar after sauce is off the heat, but still warm and stir in, tasting for preferred acidity.
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