Lamb shanks pullable ideas

[mtford72]

I love braised lamb, slow cooked, pullable, meltingly delicious. The high fat content + all the connective tissue should lend lamb to smoking. However, each time I do it, I'm disappointed in the flavor results. Its as if smoke and lamb doesn't mix - which obviously cannot be the case. The lamb itself is usually spot on in terms of consistency.

So - ideas for sauces / rubs? I still need to try 'sunlite' from the main page.

As an aside, there is a restaurant / hole in the wall near me that does a pulled lamb sandwich which rivals anything I have ever eaten in sandwich form anywhere in the world - but its not smoked.

Thoughts?

Matt

[(mr.brisket)]

I marinate my lamb shanks in red wine with a little salt overnight then I blend up two canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with some of the sauce they come in then spread the mixture with some fresh chopped garlic over the shanks. I place the shanks on a disposable cookie sheet and smoke for one hour, then I remove them from the smoker and wrap them in banana leaves( I buy them frozen) with the accumulated juices. I put the wrapped lamb in a shallow cookie sheet with about 1/2 inch on water and put them back into the smoker for another six hours low and slow. The banana leaves give them a distinctive flavor while allowing them to braise in their own juices without taking on too much smoke. If you cannot get banana leaves you could use parchment paper. I did these shanks in a cast iron pan with parchment, since my store was out of banana leaves.

[mtford72]

They look excellent. Cheers!

[Strat50]

Mr. Brisket hit it right here. Marinating lamb in a weak acid solution(wine, beer, diluted vinegar, etc) helps with the texture, and to remove some of the "gamey" flavor. The spices are just icing on the cake, so to speak. Then, low and slow in the bbq. Crutching towards the end will mitigate drying out. Since the flavor is already established by this time, wrapping with a bit of moisture thrown in, will give you tender and flavorful shanks with no issues(usually).

[mtford72]

Thanks for the tips! What about pairing for flavors? Any ideas?

[OGMrWhite]

I smoked a lamb shoulder on Sunday (Dolly rub, light smoke 11 hrs to 203), and tonight we will finally be eating it - leftovers I know, but I cooked a shitload of meat to get us through the week. (BTW, incase you are wondering a shitload is defined as "more then you need"). I'm making the sunlite for the first time tonight... seems like a lot of brown sugar, but lets find out.

When I took it out of the faux, and cut it, the texture and flavors were out of this world, blew the St.L ribs and brisket (that I cooked at the same time) out of the water IMO.

[bbqoaf]

MH's sunlight is one of the best recipes on the entire site (http://amazingribs.com/recipes/BBQ_s...cue_sauce.html). I do my lamb shoulder dry brined with Dolly's lamb rub and smoked to 203 IT with cherry wood. The flavour is out of site on its own, with this sauce it puts it out of this world. To have your friends, family, neighbours and the rest of the meat eating world worship you, make a double batch of the sauce and put half of it below the shoulders in the smoker during the cook. That nectar is the stuff dreams are made of.

[Ernest]

I stay away from smoking lamb. I don't think lamb likes smoke.

[mtford72]

I'm still looking for that elusive 3rd note that will bring lamb and smoke together in harmony. But I'm inclined to agree with your supposition.

[The Burn]

For my leg of lamb with an herb-y rub, which only smokes for about 2 1/2-3 hours to 150, I use Merlot wood chunks. I wasn't sure it made a difference until a cook this week when I didn't have any. I used some apple and it just wasn't the same.

[scorched_porch]

I find that briquettes or lump alone has enough smoke compounds to give you what you need for lamb. I don't use wood smoke, and use any combination of olive oil, rosemary, garlic, Herbs De Provence, mustard powder and even horseradish to season it. Please let me know how it all ends up.

[abscam]

I'm trying a new recipe tomorrow for Easter with lamb shanks. Its by a guy who goes by "DJ BBQ" in the UK. He's a American that's been out and about and does bbq videos. I like his panash. His base is a yeast spread - like veggiemite or marmite, but the one he uses is called Promite. He rubs the promite on the shanks, then seasons with a variety of spices and, in his video, he smokes them for a couple of hours on his stick burner with cherry wood for flavor. He places them in a pan with Sherry. Looks really good on the video, so the wife gave me the go ahead. I'll let you know how they turn out.