Leg of lamb, smoker to SV attempt

[sky monkey]

  A good friend gave me a quart jar of fresh tzatziki sauce he made from the garden yesterday. So I've got to make gyros, there is no question about it.

  The largest piece of lamb I could find was an Australian boneless leg of lamb at 3.7 lbs. Nothing local in 2 stores surprisingly. I want to incorporate both my smoker and my new sous vide machine in a 24 hour cook. This will give me an opportunity for smoke/long cook during the work week being able to leave the SV unattended.

  I took it out of the net and rubbed it with olive oil infused with garlic, mustard, rosemary with more of the same dry over that adding cumin, marjoram, S&P

  Just put it in to do 2 hours at 190°-200° over hickory (wish I had some cherry, read good things on the forum about cherry and lamb) with my Smoke Hollow propane cabinet. If the lamb reaches an IT of 125 I'm pulling it before 2 hours.

  I'll vacuum seal the lamb and drop it in the SV @ 132° until I get home from work tomorrow. I'll finish over some screaming hot charcoal for 1-2 minutes per side tomorrow and then slice for a Friday night gyro dinner.

  Pictures to come!

 

[sky monkey]

Turned out delicious! I disliked burning up a whole chimney of charcoal for a few minute finish but it was a $25 leg of lamb.

I started slicing the wrong way but quickly corrected it and the gyros were fantastic.

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• sky monkey
• Sep 16, 2017

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• sky monkey
• Sep 16, 2017

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• sky monkey
• Sep 16, 2017

 

[biaviian]

It is nice to see that you had success.  I have a butchered lamb in the freezer, and my plan is to sous vide most of it starting with a rack then a leg.  Do you have lessons learned that you could pass on?

 

[sky monkey]

 
It is nice to see that you had success.  I have a butchered lamb in the freezer, and my plan is to sous vide most of it starting with a rack then a leg.  Do you have lessons learned that you could pass on?

Thanks Bia, most of what I learned was pertinent to this particular cut, a butterflied leg. I'd never opened one up before to get the seasonings inside. I thought that was a great way to spread the flavor. 

  My family doesn't like mutton as  much as me so I season well. I read that the seasonings that cover the gamey flavor best are in the antioxident family, rosemary, marjoram, mustard, mint. I don't know if that antioxident family part is true but I used it all except mint (I thought I didn't have any fresh mint in the herb garden, I later learned that was not the case. I thought it was basil...DOH!) Plus the cumin and garlic of course.

 Note the grain before you cook. I was unfamiliar with the cut and started slicing with the grain.

 If I did it again I would brush it with a sauce with a bit of sugar in it while I finish it over charcoal. Mine didn't develop much of a crust in the short time I had to give it. I think a sauce might help.

 

[biaviian]

 
Thanks Bia, most of what I learned was pertinent to this particular cut, a butterflied leg. I'd never opened one up before to get the seasonings inside. I thought that was a great way to spread the flavor. 

  My family doesn't like mutton as  much as me so I season well. I read that the seasonings that cover the gamey flavor best are in the antioxident family, rosemary, marjoram, mustard, mint. I don't know if that antioxident family part is true but I used it all except mint (I thought I didn't have any fresh mint in the herb garden, I later learned that was not the case. I thought it was basil...DOH!) Plus the cumin and garlic of course.

 Note the grain before you cook. I was unfamiliar with the cut and started slicing with the grain.

 If I did it again I would brush it with a sauce with a bit of sugar in it while I finish it over charcoal. Mine didn't develop much of a crust in the short time I had to give it. I think a sauce might help.

I don't often unroll them.  I usually just season and smoke with the net still on the leg.  My go-to seasoning is salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and garlic powder.  I've never cooked a leg outside of my smoker so I am interested in tasting one done without smoke.