The Lamb Experiment
From talking to a bunch of people, there seems to be this "love it or hate it" thing going on with eating lamb. I think it comes from our days being brought up on relatively bland cuts of chicken and pork. Face it...Momma only had so many ways to dress up chiken & pork. I can't say when I've really had lamb meat before and remembered it. I certainly haven't had a personal "Tequila moment" where I could never even look at it again.
Apparently, some have. I threw out the idea of smoking some lamb to my mom for Memorial Day back home. After about 7 seconds of silence on the other end of the phone line, Ida says, "I'll get some hamburger."
Now I don't count gyro meat as true lamb meat (you know those ginormous molded hunks of God-know's-what rotating on spits....Like this little guy here in NYC>>>). It's good eats, I know. I just know it's got a little of everything in it, with the occasional scrap of lamb tossed in. I had done some reading on some guys smoking lamb and having some good success with it. So while perusing the meat aisle at one of the many friendly Hy-Vee stores in the Greater Lincoln Metroplex, I came across a discounted hunk of leg of lamb, partially bone-in. Just over $5, for all this? Sold.
After tucking it away in the freezer for a while, and with a free weekend at hand (finally!), it was time to throw this bad boy on the smoker. A rub down with fresh herbs from our massive garden plantation (thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano), some salt & pepper, and we're off. Roughly 6 hours on the hickory smoke at 225-ish. These all seemed like reasonable guesses to me as to how to make it.
Well, the results were spec-freaking-tacular. When you cut into it, it looked a lot like beef brisket, with that bright red smoke ring, and the gray flesh of meat. The flavor? Hmmm....beefy, but with a faint livery taste to it. Some might say it's "Gamey", but that term is pretty relative, I think. It was my kind of meat. I can see why some may shy away from it, because it's very different from out standard beef & pork fare. Now, how to serve it.....Well, I just had to go Greek for my first time. Whipped up some yogurt sauce, some tomato, some greek potatoes, and there you go......heaven on a plate. I came up with a new ad campaign for the much-maligned meat.
Lamb: Don't be scurred.....nuh-uh....Don't be scurred.
Apparently, some have. I threw out the idea of smoking some lamb to my mom for Memorial Day back home. After about 7 seconds of silence on the other end of the phone line, Ida says, "I'll get some hamburger."
Now I don't count gyro meat as true lamb meat (you know those ginormous molded hunks of God-know's-what rotating on spits....Like this little guy here in NYC>>>). It's good eats, I know. I just know it's got a little of everything in it, with the occasional scrap of lamb tossed in. I had done some reading on some guys smoking lamb and having some good success with it. So while perusing the meat aisle at one of the many friendly Hy-Vee stores in the Greater Lincoln Metroplex, I came across a discounted hunk of leg of lamb, partially bone-in. Just over $5, for all this? Sold.
After tucking it away in the freezer for a while, and with a free weekend at hand (finally!), it was time to throw this bad boy on the smoker. A rub down with fresh herbs from our massive garden plantation (thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano), some salt & pepper, and we're off. Roughly 6 hours on the hickory smoke at 225-ish. These all seemed like reasonable guesses to me as to how to make it.
Well, the results were spec-freaking-tacular. When you cut into it, it looked a lot like beef brisket, with that bright red smoke ring, and the gray flesh of meat. The flavor? Hmmm....beefy, but with a faint livery taste to it. Some might say it's "Gamey", but that term is pretty relative, I think. It was my kind of meat. I can see why some may shy away from it, because it's very different from out standard beef & pork fare. Now, how to serve it.....Well, I just had to go Greek for my first time. Whipped up some yogurt sauce, some tomato, some greek potatoes, and there you go......heaven on a plate. I came up with a new ad campaign for the much-maligned meat.
Lamb: Don't be scurred.....nuh-uh....Don't be scurred.
Comments
Cameron
JP
Well, you're now reaping the benefits, my friend. Relish in it.