Smoked Leg O' Lamb
by
Smoked Leg O' Lamb

Smoked Leg O’ Lamb

The thing that's special about this recipe is, well, it tastes amazing and if fairly easy to do, even for a novice smoker.  I used a Big Green Egg for my cook on this, but there's no reason you couldn't use any good smoker (a good smoker is one that keeps a constant temperature well).
Notes:
– I use a grill AND a smoker for this recipe, but you could use either/or. The difference to me is in the ease of setup (plus I have both, and they right next to each other). I use the grill to sear the meat and the smoker to roast it.
– Don't make the board sauce ahead of time. The oil can promote botulism when mixed with the other ingredients if kept too long (even in the fridge)
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Course: Smoked
Keyword: lamb, smoked

Ingredients

Dolly’s Lamb Rub

  • 2 tbsp Dried Rosemary Leaves (broken up or crushed)
  • 1 tbsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Paprika
  • 10 Garlic Cloves (minced or pressed)

Board Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 1/3 cup Distilled White Vinegar
  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Parsley leaves
  • 1 cup finely chopped Cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, minced or pressed
  • 2 Dried Chiles de Arbol

Leg O’ Lamb

  • 8 lb Leg of Lamb
  • Kosher Salt
  • Dolly’s Lamb Rub
  • Board Sauce
  • 1 tsp Ground Bay Leaves

Instructions

Dolly's Lamb Rub

  • Mix everything together in a bowl. This rub will last up to 1 week in the fridge

Board Sauce

  • Coarsely chop the sage, garlic, thyme and Jalapeno into a coffee cup or small bowl and add the black pepper.Drizzle the oil into the cup.
  • When ready to use, pour the herb-and-oil mix onto a cutting board or platter. Carve the meat and let the juices run all over the mix, then roll the meat in the wonderful sauce and enjoy!

Lamb

  • Remove as much of the fat cap as you can and make sure all the silver skin is removed.
  • If you got a bone-in leg, remove the aitch bone (there are lots of videos on YouTube that go over this). I usually have the bone removed at the butcher.
  • Cut cross hatches on the surface of the meat to give more surface area for the rub to cling to and to help the outside get crustier when it cooks.
  • Sprinkle Kosher salt all over the meat. Less salt where the meat is thinner and more salt where it is thickest, then bind the roast up with butcher's twine to keep all the flaps together.
  • Meathead calls for you to wet your hands and pat the surface of the meat to help the rub stick, but I like to smear Olive Oil all over the meat instead. Pat the rub all over the meat and make sure you fill the gashes.
  • Set your smoker up for 225F indirect with a little wood for smoking. I used Cherry for this, but you can use whatever suits your fancy.
  • Roast the lamb at 225 until the internal temp at the thickest part gets to 120-125F.
  • When the internal temp gets close to 120, set your grill up for searing. I set mine with a couple middle burners on medium high. Once the lamb has reached it's target temp, set it on the direct heat of your grill to sear it.
  • Sear all sides of the roast. Meathead uses foil wrapped bricks, and I just happen to have some cast iron presses I wrap in foil. You can use these to keep the roast from rolling while your searing them.
  • Pour the board sauce on the cutting board, set the meat on the sauce, and slice it against the grain. That's it. We like to use a little mint or pepper jelly to dip the meat in, but it's plenty tasty right off the board.