Lamb

Shelby

Looking for suggestions on doing a small leg of lamb.
Recipies; time; temp; etc.[p]Thanks!

The Other Dave

Shelby, I have done all of mine (lots) just like a pork butt. Low and slow, indirect, either covered and/or uncovered. Lots of garlic, rosemary and some fresh peppermint over olive oil. I have never had a failure doing this. It seems leg of lamb is the optimum cut for the BGE (or vise versa). [p]I use any leftovers for gyros the next day. Yum!

Shelby

The Other Dave,
What kind of time frame are you looking at with a low and slow leg of lamb?

The Other Dave

Shelby, I wish I could give you exact times and temps, but it really is a seat of the pants thing for me. I put it on at about 9-9:30 in the morning and take it off at about 2 or 3, which is too soon, so I usally wrap it in foil and put it in a cooler (warmer?) until about 5.[p]Temp seems to flucuate between 225 and 275 (pre-guru) but I think if you get the lamb to 165-170 for a few hours it will be wonderful. Concider covering half way through cook if going for a really long cook.[p]All that said, bottom line is to monitor it occasionally, you will know be sight,smell,and feel what it needs, if anything at all.[p]

JSlot

Ok, Dave. Spill the beans here. Is this "pulled" lamb? LOL! I cook all my lamb to about 140° internal. This yields a nice pink center. Then again, I'm cooking indirect at 350° or so. I've never heard of the low and slow method being used on leg of lamb. I'll have to give it a try, although I still think 165° is way too high a temp. What does the meat look like at that temp?[p]Frosty Ones!
Jim

fishlessman

Shelby,[p]salt pepper rosemary mint garlic. sear at high temps. usually i get the fire going at 800 pluss, dig a hole in the coals the size of the leg, and throw it in. flip in 60 to 90 secs. sear the other side. take out and rest 20 min (TREX). drop temp down to 275-325. cook raised grill, inderict high in dome until 127 internal, wrap in tin foil and rest 15 to 30 minutes. i lean toward 122 internal but most seam to like it at a higher internal, but i would never cook it over 130. long gloves and long tongs are a must. i usually cook boneless and have to retie the meat after the sear.

The Other Dave

JSlot, "Pulled Lamb" Good analogy! For me and my family, the leg needs the low and slow for the tenderness we desire. Now, with a lamb rack 130 is ideal for me cooked at 400 degrees plus. BTW, the meat looks fine to me especially if you give it a smoke ring early on. The tenderness from the low and slow is essential for the gyros the next day, which is every bit as much reason for cooking the leg in the first place as the initial meal.[p]But now you have me curious as to what a 140 degree leg is like. I am certain they are worlds apart.

JSlot

The 140° leg is pink in the middle, tender and oh so juicy. I usually do boneless legs, but I've done one or two bone-in with the same results. I'm gonna have to give your method a try, though. I would have thought the lamb would dry out cooked to that high of an internal temp. I'll let you know when I give it a try![p]Jim

Shelby

JSlot,
Ok...y'all both have me confused on how to cook it. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing a whole leg of lamb, bone in. Because the friends house where I'll be cooking is a fly by the seat sort of guy, I'm sure it won't be marinated over night and it took everything I had to get him to smoke a pork butt overnight, so I doubt he'll go for lamb overnight. Plus, we're planning on eating tomorrow evening.[p]On an indirect cook at 350, how long does it usually take to get a bone in up to 140?[p]I've never cooked/eaten lamb so I've got nothing to compare it to as far as flavor and/or cooking times.[p]Thanks!

Shelby

Shelby,
Also, the recipe in the achives/Bill Wise cookbook says to butterfly; marinade overnight and grill 12 mins, turn and grill another 12 mins and let rest 10 mins....this at 350-400.
I'm guessing with the butterfly part, he's meaning to debone it?
This can't be right time can it??

JSlot

Yep, butterflying is deboning and the time Bill posted is correct for grilling the lamb. I'm guessing at 350° indirect for a normal size bone-in leg that it will take 1½-2 hours to get to 140°. Maybe more, maybe less, but that should be close. If it looks like it's going to be done early, pull it off at 130° and wrap in foil until dinner time.[p]Jim

QBabe

Shelby,[p]I've never done one hot and fast like that recipe, but have done several boneless leg of lamb roasts that had been deboned and then rolled and tied. The last one was a greek-style lamb...here's the link I posted back in November with some pics and times. My 7 lb bone-in roast became two 3-4 lb boneless roasts that took 1 to 1.5 hrs at 300° - 325°. I can't find any notes on what temp I pulled it at, but think it was in the 130° range.[p]It was really tasty...[p]Tonia
:~)[p]P.S. I did mine indirect with a platesetter, drip pan and v-rack, just like in an oven.

QBabe

Here's the link...
[ul][li]Greek lamb thread[/ul]

The Other Dave

QBabe, The low and slow style I use is not that red, but a more pink/tan. It is not dry at all though. I prefer that degree of doneness for the gyros. Great link QBabe.