Cooked by Thomas, following a recipe from AmazingRibs.com, this lamb shoulder was truly amazing. With all the fat rendered, what was left was beautifully moist and smoky meat falling off the bone. You will need a charcoal barbecue or smoker, a thermometer and a free day to cook this.
The day before cooking your lamb shoulder, prepare it by removing all the surface fat and the tough silver skin, then season with salt (½ a teaspoon per 450g /1 lb) and keep covered in your fridge overnight. The next day combine 2 tablespoons of dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon of whole mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground bay leaves, 10 cloves of crushed garlic and a little water to make a paste. Coat the lamb shoulder generously with this rub – this should be enough for a large shoulder. Preheat your barbecue or smoker to 107ºC (225ºF). Place the lamb over indirect heat and allow to cook (making sure you keep the temperature as even as possible) until the meat reaches 95ºC (203ºF). This will take 8 hours or so. Meanwhile make the black barbecue sauce, an excellent accompaniment to the rich meat. In a saucepan combine 2 cups of water, ½ a cup of Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce, ½ a cup of distilled vinegar, ½ a teaspoon of ground white pepper, 7 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¼ of a teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ of a teaspoon onion powder, ¼ of a teaspoon garlic powder, 1¼ teaspoons of table salt and 1¼ teaspoons of lemon juice. Simmer for 10 minutes then set aside to serve with the lamb.
We served our lamb with roasted root vegetables and peas with fresh mint.
michelle picker cooks 