Whole lamb

pignout013 · Jun 2, 2016

BBQ'n a 75 # lamb for a friend next weekend and im completely clueless! The only thing I know about cooking lamb is most prefer it cooked to med rare(he wants it medium), and the smell of it cooking nearly makes me sick. I have a pit big enough to easily do this but not sure on seasonings, bast, heat(low and slo or nucular), boned out, rotisserie or not.He says he wants it cooked Mediterranean style? I'm sure y'al see that i can use any help. Thanks, KD

SmokinAl · Jun 2, 2016

I did a search & here's some threads that may help you!

Good luck!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/newsearch?search=whole+lamb

Al

chef jimmyj · Jun 3, 2016

If everything has to be Medium, cut it in thirds. Front Shoulders and neck, Saddle ie. Ribs and Loin and Back Legs/Hip. Smoke at 300-325°F overall time estimate 25-30 minutes per pound for each section. Back legs section goes on first, wait about 1 hour, add shoulders and neck, wait 1 hour and add saddle. Use instant read and as various sections hit 130-135, pull it off, cover in foil and rest. For a baste and sauce to drizzle over meat, see below...JJ

For a large Lamb, I would multiply by 3 or 4 and divide for basting and drizzle sauce...JJ

Spiedie Marinade/Sauce

1/2Cup Olive Oil

2Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2Cup Worcestershire

2T Minced Garlic

1/2tsp Dry Basil

1tsp Dry Oregano

2tsp Dry Parsley

1/2tsp Gran. Garlic

1tsp Gran Onion

1/2tsp Red Pepper Flake

1T Salt

1T Sugar

2tsp Black Pepper

1Cup Red Wine

Combine all, Mix well and Divide in half to use for Basting/Marinade and Drizzle Sauce.

Tradition has you use a bouquet of Fresh Herbs, Basil, Oregano, Rosemary and Parsley, to Mop the Lamb. Let the herbs soak in the Baste Bucket between mopping...

Makes about 3Cups total.

moikel · Jun 3, 2016

I am with Chef JJ on this.

I have done a lot of lamb cookery & a few whole ones in my wood fired oven & a few more on spits. I had the good fortune to be at a couple of whole lamb events in the mountains of Abruzzo in spring some years back.

Like chef JJ says you can't get a whole carcass cooked to the same deal ,on a spit you can carve & keep cooking but thats not ideal .

His baste looks AAA ,I lean more towards rosemary,garlic ,lemon,oregano EVO white wine .I think the lemon helps cut the fat.If you want my chermoula recipe which is Turkish/North African just say so & I will put it into your thread.

Younger lamb want have as much fat.

If its not about the sense of theatre of a whole lamb I would go as far as breaking up the big cuts with a cleaver/saw so you can get your baste right into the meat,leave them holding together.You can eyeball it better for doneness as you go.

Regards Mick

pignout013 · Jun 4, 2016

I am planning on butterfliing a 75 lb lamb. So using JJ's figure, if one of the hind 1/4's weighs 12.5 lbs it will take between 5.5 and 6.5 hrs. for the hams (or the whole body) depending on what way we decide. Do lamb ribs need time to get tender like pork or are they more tender to begin with? seems like 4 hrs not very long for ribs. If I pull it off to rest at 130- 135 will it make it to medium? This lamb thing is new to me but maybe easier to put in perspective when i see the animal. My lab weighs 130lbs which compared to the lamb he may look like King Kong and these body parts may be way smaller then im imagining. Sorry for the repeat questions but I take my BBQ cooking very serious and want every thing perfect. Thank you all again, Your help is very much appreciated, KD

moikel · Jun 4, 2016

I get the butterfly bit. That's a big bugger of a lamb! Ribs on,lamb are tender if you mean cutlet , single muscle same as loin .The rib cage has a lot of fat .
Do you have the capacity to have your unit hotter at the North south end & cooler in the middle?
Loin & cutlet are your premium cuts you don't want to dry them out.
I would put it fat down towards the heat to render it down a bit ,it's the fat that carries the stronger flavour that some people don't like..
I sometimes poke holes all over the lamb with a boning knife ,insert a mix of garlic,lemon zest,rosemary into the holes. Jus saying.

moikel · Jun 4, 2016

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/smoked-lamb-forequarter

I know this guy,I go to this place a fair bit. I take him stuff like bottarga & smoked fish.

Its just one way to approach lamb,his restaurant is a really special place in an unfashionable suburb that is just killing it at this time.

It might give you a few clues. It is done in a wood fired oven which is a different deal but you will get the vibe.

Regards Mick

chef jimmyj · Jun 4, 2016

pignout013 said:
I am planning on butterfliing a 75 lb lamb. So using JJ's figure, if one of the hind 1/4's weighs 12.5 lbs it will take between 5.5 and 6.5 hrs. for the hams (or the whole body) depending on what way we decide. Do lamb ribs need time to get tender like pork or are they more tender to begin with? seems like 4 hrs not very long for ribs. If I pull it off to rest at 130- 135 will it make it to medium? This lamb thing is new to me but maybe easier to put in perspective when i see the animal. My lab weighs 130lbs which compared to the lamb he may look like King Kong and these body parts may be way smaller then im imagining. Sorry for the repeat questions but I take my BBQ cooking very serious and want every thing perfect. Thank you all again, Your help is very much appreciated, KD

I get full racks of Pork Ribs done in 4 hours at 275°F. Going 300-325°F, you will have no issues with getting them done in 4 or less...JJ

pignout013 · Jun 4, 2016

Thanks Moikel, Yes I can. My pit is an old 500 gal propane tank with a fire box at one end. Every 2' there is a propane burner running perpendicular to the pit and each is individually controlled so having north hotter then south not a problem. thanks everyone for your input. KD ps 75 lb sounds small, I had no idea that was a big lamb. Heck in my younger days I could have dam near ate this whole thing myself. lol

moikel · Jun 4, 2016

I can't remember what they weighed when I was a kid on the farm.The shoulder of goat I cooked last night came off a carcass that was about 30 pounds.
We have some " newer " heavy weight breeds here ,Dorpers the most popular but 75 pounds is still big for lamb. To us that would be hogget, back in the day. Not a word you here much now. It's what we ate because my Dad preffered it. Any idea what breed your guy is?If it has a thick fat cover you may want to go for some big flavours to cut the influence of the fat. Just saying.
If you can put less heat in the middle of your rig those AAAA cuts,loin,rib cutlet are less likely to over cook.

pignout013 · Jun 5, 2016

im definitely no expert with lamb and it is by far my least favorite meat. I am also familiar with what you call hoget as is spent 1982 in NZ playing softball. The lamb was bad enough but the hoget dam near killed me lol. any way thats what they order so thats what i will cook and the bbq gods will determine the out come. what ever happens i will share the results. Most importantly i hope i can get the smell out of my cooker lol. thanks again, KD

pignout013 · Jun 13, 2016

For anyone that gives a rip, took butterflied lamb out of cotton sock 9:00 Sunday morn. Oop's some one forgot to butterfly. So I said to heck with it and seperated all four qtrs and split the rib cage. Stuffed some garlic into one loin and a hind qtr, salted then mopped every hr with a evoo,thyme garlic, rosemary and oregono, Put two hind qrts on at 10 am at 250 degress with lite apple smoke. put fronts and loin/ribs on at 11:30. 5:00 was serving time. At 3 everything was coming into temp range. Instructions were NO PINK in the meat so just for sh*** and giggles stuck a knife in the hind (Instaread thermo had read 151) and juice was very pinkish. So back in it went. At 3:45 checked again this time thermo reads 158 in hind 160 in front and 156 in loins. Made an insition down to the bone and WTH its still pink??? If anyone can explain why there would be color at 156 please explain it to me. obviously something is wrong...... and yes all my instareads are calibrated before I use them each time. so, wrapped in foil turned heat down to 225 till 4:15. Remove fromm bbq to a insulated cooler and coved will towels and blanket. Lamb was fan freakn tastic and I have never been a lamb guy. maybe a little over done for my liking but I wasn't cooking for me. at between 3-3:30 it would have been between med rare and med(perfect). Thanks for everyones input I appreciate it very much, and if anyone can explain the pink juice let me know. KD

moikel · Jun 14, 2016

No photos ?
Sounds like it turned out great. Not easy to please that many people.
I like mine pink but if it's moist medium is fine.

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Whole lamb

pignout013

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SmokinAl

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chef jimmyj

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moikel

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pignout013

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moikel

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moikel

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chef jimmyj

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

pignout013

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moikel

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pignout013

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pignout013

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moikel

Master of the Pit

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