I couldn't pass the lamb breast I saw at the store for $0.99/lb. I post the results of my preparation here not as a ringing success but rather to provide additional information for others should they wish to try something like this. There is also some good discussion of the subject in this thread. The best sounding advice there was to cook the ribs on the rare side.
The lamb breast consists of the ribs and cartilage along the breast with lots of fat and a little meat.
Because of the quantity of fat, I decided that rare was not the best course. Instead I planed to do a long and very slow cook, hoping to render some of the fat away.
I prepared the lamb by rubbing with a mix of garlic and rosemary with a little sage, pepper and cumin mixed in peanut oil. This marinated about half an hour while I prepared my fire.
I smoked in a mini-WSM using briquettes, black walnut, mulberry, cherry and box elder for smoking woods. I used water in the bowl to help moderate temps. I put the lamb on the upper rack and some chicken legs and thighs on the lower rack.
Meat went in when the grill temp hit 225° F. I adjusted the vents to keep temps about 200°-210° F. (It did get up to 220° at one point.) I kept the meat on until the meat temp seemed to level off about 170°. At about 3 hours, I took the meat off and rested it while I prepared salad and vegetables for our meal. The meat had just started to pull back on the bone when it came off. It did not release much moisture while it rested.
I was surprised to find the meat slightly pink in some places. I would characterize it between medium and well and I had expected it to be very well done after three hours.
I guess this wasn't really long enough to render away much fat. Eating it was an exercise in separating what seemed like little bits of meat from the fat and bone.
What meat we did get was delicious, so I have no complaints there. It was very juicy and the flavor was good.
So, the question I have is is there a better way to cook lamb that is mostly fat? SWMBO thought lamb carnitas. Maybe I'll try that with the left overs. In addition, I'll make a broth with the bones and use that for cooking lentils.
Feel free to discuss and criticize.
-walt
The lamb breast consists of the ribs and cartilage along the breast with lots of fat and a little meat.
I prepared the lamb by rubbing with a mix of garlic and rosemary with a little sage, pepper and cumin mixed in peanut oil. This marinated about half an hour while I prepared my fire.
I smoked in a mini-WSM using briquettes, black walnut, mulberry, cherry and box elder for smoking woods. I used water in the bowl to help moderate temps. I put the lamb on the upper rack and some chicken legs and thighs on the lower rack.
Meat went in when the grill temp hit 225° F. I adjusted the vents to keep temps about 200°-210° F. (It did get up to 220° at one point.) I kept the meat on until the meat temp seemed to level off about 170°. At about 3 hours, I took the meat off and rested it while I prepared salad and vegetables for our meal. The meat had just started to pull back on the bone when it came off. It did not release much moisture while it rested.
I was surprised to find the meat slightly pink in some places. I would characterize it between medium and well and I had expected it to be very well done after three hours.
I guess this wasn't really long enough to render away much fat. Eating it was an exercise in separating what seemed like little bits of meat from the fat and bone.
What meat we did get was delicious, so I have no complaints there. It was very juicy and the flavor was good.
So, the question I have is is there a better way to cook lamb that is mostly fat? SWMBO thought lamb carnitas. Maybe I'll try that with the left overs. In addition, I'll make a broth with the bones and use that for cooking lentils.
Feel free to discuss and criticize.
-walt
