BARBECUED LAMB SHOULDER
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We’ve been really excited about the number of farms raising free-range lamb commercially in the Hill Country – because we love lamb. And let me tell you, these folks are raising some lamb that is not only delicious and tender but raised on native grasses, supplemented only in harsh weather conditions with grain, and no hormones or all those bad things for the animals, and no herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers on the grasses. As our ancestors, who grew a lot of sheep for both meat and wool, knew, lamb is mighty good barbecued. The shoulder is an especially flavorful cut of lamb and takes quite nicely to a low and slow cooking on the pit. |
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Ingredients |
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Serves 6-8. 1 (7-8 pound) lamb shoulder roast Rub: ¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper Barbecue Mop: ½ cup white vinegar Barbecue Sauce: 1 cup Worcestershire sauce |
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Instructions |
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Begin by making the Rub. Combine all ingredients and toss to blend well; store in airtight container. Make the Barbecue Mop by combining all ingredients in small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, just until the mixture boils. Remove from heat and cool. To make the Barbecue Sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the liquid boils, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Serve warm or at room temperature. Rinse and dry the lamb with absorbent paper towels. Coat the meat with Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the Rub over the lamb, patting to help it stick to the meat. Place meat in a plastic bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. An hour before cooking remove the meat from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Prepare a fire by lighting wood or a combination of wood and hardwood charcoal in the firebox of a barbecue pit, or at the end of a barrel smoker opposite the end with the vent or chimney. (Or light the coals in a water-pan type smoker.) When the fire has burned down to glowing embers or the coals are covered with white ash, place the lamb, fat side up, on the grate but not directly over the coals. The fires should be low, about 225-250 degrees in the pit. Close the lid and cook for one hour, undisturbed. After an hour, baste the lamb with the mop about once an hour until the meat is done. Allow 1-1½ hours per pound, or 7-10 hours cooking time. Tend the fire by adding wood or more hardwood charcoal to keep it from going out and to keep the temperature in the pit constant. The meat should be well-done and tender, with an internal temperature that registers 189-190 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer. Slice the meat or shred and chop it. Serve with the sauce on plates or in sandwiches, if chopped. |