Bone in Leg Question

[Lakeside Smoker]

I love lamb. Chops, leg, belly, I love it. A perfectly cooked leg of lamb can be spectacular! I always cook mine to mid rare. However, next weekend I’m doing pulled lamb for tacos. I had planned on using shanks or shoulder, but I’m having a hard time sourcing out the amount I need. I’ve seen some people using leg for pulled and it looks good! My first reaction was, no way! But, has anyone here done a pulled leg of lamb?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[chef jimmyj]

Virtually any cut of meat can be cooked to the point it can be pulled. Cook until the collagen connective tissue breaks down. Smoke the lamb leg just like a pork picnic roast. The lamb leg is lean compared to pork, so expect the meat to be drier. A BBQ or Finishing Sauce will replace any lacking moisture...JJ

 

[SmokinLogs]

I don’t have a lot of experience myself with cooking lamb, but where I’m from mutton is one of the biggest smoked meats cooking in the area. Mutton is sheep that is over a year old. We smoke it usually with hickory, and use a “dip” or more commonly called a mop sauce to help break it down. The dip has a lot of apple cider vinegar with Worcestershire sauce. Everyone makes their own sauces how they like it. It really helps break down any tough tissues and fat, and adds a great taste that compliments the hickory smoke. It works good as a finishing sauce too. I bet it would go well with lamb too. Let me know if you are interested and I will dig up the recipe.

 

[Lakeside Smoker]

I figured I’d post some results on the cook. I ended up going with boneless legs and a lot of shanks. Seared off and then braised with roasted tomatoes, ancho chilis, garlic, cumin seeds, and beef broth. I cooked them till 200-205 IT, rested, strain and degrease the braising liquid, pulled the lamb, added the liquid back to the lamb and put it in the fridge overnight. Day of service I just reheated, covered under low heat. The lamb was delicious and not at all dry! It was basically swimming in its own juices, but you can still see that the lamb was not dried out at all.

Cheers!

 

[atomicsmoke]

No pics?

Pulled lamb is awesome. I've done it with shoulder and leg. Both delicious but the shoulder is better designed for pulling.

Here is one i've done from leg
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/easter-2018-graphic-images.274292/#post-1817559