OK let me have it! Which country do you think produces the best lamb? Australia? New Zealand? Scotland? The US? Tell me here in the comments! And make sure you also check out my New Zealand Lamb Shoulder video! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CdtkBPGu57Y.html
@@xdcxdc2225 I've heard that, but I can't find a source here in the US. I have a new meat producer I'm going to be working with I will have to ask him!
Key fact left out of the video is what temp did you take the lamb off the smoker and how much did the temp rise after resting. Good video with great tips.
Canadian here, prepping my New Zealand grass fed, pastured, leg of lamb (thank you New Zealand). Thanks for the info on oxidization of fat. Great video, you've earned my subscription!
Hi Billy! Where are you in Canada? I will be in SK for the holidays (yes I’m bringing a sweater lol). Welcome to the family sir. I look forward to seeing you around!
@@BehindTheFoodTV Cool! Unfortunately I live in southwestern Ontario now days, but for 10 years I lived in or around Winnipeg but that was a long time ago. If you are in SK I hope you brought a lot more than a sweater though. lol I hope you have a great holiday!
Nice Job, got a hole lamb all chopped up sitting in my freezer waiting to put on my reverse flow smoker I built a few weeks back, Thanks for your Lamb smoking videos, from OZ.
Cheers from the US of A! You gotta love Kiwi lamb! One of these days I will make it down there! Thanks so much fir being a part of my long distance family!
I wish we were neighbors :) It's a video one should watch before deciding to go vegan 😁 I really believe your channel has a huge potential, keep up the great job!
That's so nice of you to say! When this COVID thing is over - it's a short 7 hour flight from Schipol to RDU, and I have a guest room. Let's do some cooks together!
Yum!!! Roast lamb my absolute fave!! You should try with some red wine, honey, garlic and Rosemary 😋😋 I’m from Australia and it is so weird to me to hear lamb described as “gamey” I’ve only heard Americans describe it as gamey - I know it’s not that common over there like here, I guess it really is what you grow up on. To me, turkey mince is a very gamey. And kangaroo is DEFINITELY gamey 😫 lol 😂 Great vid - subscribed 👍
Hey T welcome to the family! I don’t cook with honey (keto guy) but the rest of that ingredients list sounds amazing! You know why lamb isn’t gamey to you? Because you folks know how to cook it! I’m trying to teach people here one viewer at a time so they can love it like we do! Thanks for watching! -Al
Awesome! One of my goals is to do a month long tour of Australia and New Zealand next year, stopping in a few towns and doing some cooks with my subscribers down there. Stay tuned!
Hi! Thank you so much for all the great tips on making leg of lamb, I’m planning on smoking one for an early friends Christmas party- at what internal temperature did you take the leg off the grill? I’ve seen so many discrepancies regarding lamb medium rare’s internal temperature. My best guess at the moment would be to take off around 135-138 Fahrenheit, double wrap in foil and let rest for 45-60 minutes so that it gets to 145-ish for medium rare- I would love to hear your thoughts though!
Here in Alien Town we have both cattle country and sheep country just a stones throw outside of town - I’ll be doing one of these beautiful whole legs next weekend 👍 yummy
Hey mate you are working with a hind leg so that chump end you removed is the gluteo bicep not shoulder if somebody ask for shoulder it will be a completely different cut
Thanks! It’s so much easier to do after it cooks if you cut it before the cook. I have to try it with racks/chops and cowboys to see if it’s just as effective!
Why the ginger? It seems to be out of the flavor profile of rosemary and garlic. Love the technique - trying for Christmas dinner - also - what about Dijon mustard?
Great questions, Ben! The ginger adds a little kick that plays nicely with the unctuous texture of the lamb fat. You could also use a spicy pepper for this, but I'd be afraid to overpower. As for Dijon I haven't used it with leg of lamb, but I did a prime rib with Dijon as my binder for a similar flavor profile about a month ago (had to impress my girlfriend's father) and it turned out fabulous. Maybe try it on a cheaper cut like a rack of lamb or shoulder chops before experimenting on an expensive bone-in leg? But that's just me :-). Happy holidays I hope this works out to be a great Christmas dinner! -Al
That looks pretty darn good brother. If I only had the patience to cook, the wife wants to do a channel together on cooking, it would be a disaster lol
Great video as usual. I have leg of lamb in the freezer & it's coming out today because that looks so yummy. I currently get grass fed lamb from a local farmer here in Ontario (Yeoman Beef) & it is the best lamb & ever had (we eat lots of lamb). The fat is like butter & there is no gamy taste at all (maybe because it's grass fed, don't know.
So exciting that you have one to make! Grass fed is definitely going to have a different flavor than pasture raised where they eat a variety. I will have to do a side by side comparison video. Post a picture for us on the Facebook page after you make it!
Hi David! Cheers from the US of A! You’re in good company - next to the US, New Zealand and Australia are my largest audiences. Welcome to the family! -Al
Nice recipe. ? What temperature did you pull the lamb, also smoke temp 250? Just like the shoulder? Thanks for the video love your lil helper, raising her right.
Hi Tyrone - thanks for the kind words. Leah is so much fun to work with! I did smoke it at 250. I pulled it at 130 and let it come naturally up to 135 while resting. I’ve seen people take it about 10 degrees farther, but in my experience it starts to dry out past 135. Thanks for watching!
Ha! I just went back and watched and sure enough I didn't say! I pulled at 133°F, wrapped it in foil and a towel and rested in a cooler for exactly 1 hour. When it came out of the cooler it temped at 132°, but as you can see from the color it had to get warmer than that, so I'm assuming continuation cooking probably took it up to 138° or so and I caught it on the way back down. Nice catch!
Thanks Farzero! I've never cooked with either - but I would imagine if you got the quantities right that they would work. Definitely make sure you're not using a pickled ginger paste though! Thanks for watching! -Al
Hi Myron. Honestly this was over 3 years ago so I don’t remember this cook exactly. I will usually pull a leg like this around 130F and let continuation cooking take it to 145-ish but I can’t promise that’s what I did back then when I filmed this one.
Great video and result! Webered my first lamb leg tonight but I think temp was around 250, is that too high? What’s the ideal cooking temp to render moisture the best. Cheers from Australia!!
Hi Jason and cheers from the US of A! As a rule, the thicker the cut of meat the lower the cooking temp I use. The long answer has to do with the Second Rule of Thermodynamics (rate of change in temp is directly correlated with the temp differences as each component strives to reach thermal equilibrium) but really all you need to know is that a thick cut (shoulder, leg) should generally be cooked at a lower temp than a thinner cut. So for big cuts I stay in the 225-250F range. Does this make sense?
Great video. I’m planing on trying this method out using my Weber for Christmas dinner here in NZ. I usually use a water bath below the grill for moisture, with a few herbs etc, do you think this is necessary? Also, What was the overall cook time roughly. Thanks
Good for you! This one cooked fast - about 3 hours at 250°F/121°C. It started as about a 7lb/3.1kg leg but was probably down to about 5lb/2.8kg after I trimmed the shoulder to give you some perspective. On a Weber Kettle I think a water pan is a good idea, as it won't hold the moisture in the way a kamado style cooker will. I wouldn't bother with the herbs unless you plan to use the drippings for a lamb gravy, in which case you might think about using a beef or lamb stock instead of water in the pan. I hope this helps! And more-so I hope you have a wonderful Christmas gathered around an amazing smoked leg of delicious New Zealand lamb! Please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Hi Marios thanks for watching. Leg doesn’t have the connective tissues commonly associated with working muscles (like brisket or shoulder does) - so you can actually eat it medium rare. You can also take it up to 205+ for pulled lamb, although without the high fat and collagen content it won’t be as juicy as shoulder. I hope this helps! -Al
Hi Steve. I use plain old cheap yellow mustard. You could use honey or horseradish mustard, but those flavors are likely to still be present after the cook so plan your flavors accordingly!
Thanks for the kind words, Glen - and cheers from the US of A! You're right somehow I never mentioned the temp in the video! I pulled at 133°F, wrapped it in foil and a towel and rested in a cooler for exactly 1 hour. When it came out of the cooler it temped at 132°, but as you can see from the color it had to get warmer than that, so I'm assuming continuation cooking probably took it up to 138° or so and I caught it on the way back down. I hope this helps! -Al
@@BehindTheFoodTV awesome cheers mate! I am currently cooking this recipe in the Weber for our annul Sunday roast right now. Looks great so far and thanks for getting back to me on the temp I’ll aim for that now. 👍
Hi Geoffrey! Some cuts, like racks of lamb and lamb chops take really well to being served rare. I think you'll find that if you cook cuts like leg of lamb to medium rare that the connective tissue breaks down with the fat which makes it both more tender (counterintuitive, I know) and more flavorful (fat is taste, right?). Maybe I should do a comparison video? Anyway thanks for taking the time to comment. I hope you'll stick around for more!
Hi Mark. If you do, I’d wrap it tight with cellophane so it’s not exposed to the air. Lamb is high in BCFAs that oxidize easily and the flavor can become off putting. So if you can get it right on the smoke that’s a better option.
Absolutely, Frank. Just make sure when you put the temp probe in that the tip doesn't end up in the cavity left by the butcher when the bone was removed. Also, I have a new boneless leg of lamb video coming out 2 weeks from today so stay tuned for that! Thanks for watching! -Al
As a born and bred South Australian. You must try Kangaroo Island salt bush lamb. Tender,succulent, Juicy and a unique flavour combination just paired with the similar technique of studding the outer surface with rosemary and garlic. Just twice as much. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook in the Weber kettle for approximately 2.5 has for a 3kg leg. And enjoy with roast potatoes carrots sweet potato and pumpkin cooked under the meat with the drippings basting the veg. Enjoy!!!!
There's only one problem, Aaron - I can't get it here in the US! I have viewers from all over the world - 13% from Australia last month. I keep promising them I will find a way to come down there and to some fun cooks with them in Sydney and Melbourne - I'll have to put this on my list if I ever make it down!
You know I couldn't wait for this one! How many lbs. was this? what was total cook time? I need to learn how to French lamb shanks... maybe a techniques vid?? Leah! no such thing as 'too much lamb!' xoxo
You know I was thinking about my lamb superfan when I made this, Andrea! This was about 7 lbs before I started trimming. I got about 1.5 lbs of shoulder meat that Mrs. EMV ground up and used in a casserole, and as you could see I had to trim very little else so it was still over 5 lbs when it hit the grill. It took a total of 4 hours to cook, which is about an hour less than legs of lamb usually take - probably because it was a very lean cut. On the Frenching - a techniques vid is a great idea. I'm actually starting to do 2 videos per week starting this week - a regular "long format" video like this one, and a skills video that will be about 5 minutes. The first one will be out this Saturday - I'm demonstrating how I carved that leg. I will add Frenching to the list of skills vids I should film too. If there are other skills you want to learn, please let me know! Thanks as always for watching and for the kind words!
@@BehindTheFoodTV I wanted to say you had me in mind, but didn't want to overreach! Love the flavor profile. Will try this soon. Hubby still has to get the Billows ...
Hi M. When it came out of the cooler it temped at 132°, but as you can see from the color it had to get warmer than that, so I'm assuming continuation cooking probably took it up to 138° or so and I caught it on the way back down. Let me know how it goes when you try it!
@@BehindTheFoodTV hey thanks for the reply. im smoking my first leg for moms day. i plan on a 300 temp and closer to 200 internal when done. we like it well done round here. im going to use your seasoning technique as its the best ive seen on youtube.
@@tested123 outstanding! I would still keep your grill temp down in the 250-275 range. If you’re going all the way to 200F you don’t want to get there too fast or the fat won’t render as well. Trust me it will make a difference. Please tell your mom I said Happy Mother’s Day! And if you get a chance I would love a pic of your mom with the lamb - you can DM me on IG or FB. Have a great cook!
Wondering if you could give me some advice (or post a vid) on how to smoke a boneless leg of goat? I get some good local goat meat and I don't want to ruin it
Hi Savannah - thanks for watching! I did a bone-in goat leg for pulled goat a few months ago. It's kind of an insane recipe if you're up for it - but you can also use a less intense (or complicated) marinade and still get a great result. Let me know if you have any questions after this one - I'm happy to help brainstorm ideas with you! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IBm91agpp-Q.html
@@BehindTheFoodTV thanks so much! I looked through at your videos and saw the pulled goat recipe but didn't realize it was goat leg. I have quite a bit of cooking experience and a couple of years at culinary arts school under my belt. Is there anything in particular that I should do different considering the leg I have is Boneless?
@@SavannahLeighh that's great! I love when other chefs watch my videos! Boneless will actually cook a little slower, so take your time. But more importantly, when they butcher the boneless leg they don't just take the bone and marrow, they take all of the connective tissue around it that breaks down into that wonderful unctuous texture that we've come to love about goat meat - so you'll want to replace that if you can. Try taking some of the fat and even silver skin that you trim from the outside and just laying it in the center where the bone was. Then truss the leg like you would a boneless leg of lamb. When you're done with your cook, remove whatever collagen and fiber that's left of that mass before pulling. The renderings from it should supplement enough that you get a similar experience. Please please please come back and let me know how it goes!
@@BehindTheFoodTV I absolutely will! Thank you so very much. 16 cloves of garlic? Yes please! I ain't no vampire. I may leave out the jalapenos though. I have plenty of mushrooms from foraging. Do you specifically recommend shiitake?
Good question, Troy. I like the flavor, so I don't usually remove it. If you want to remove it, Martha Stewart has a good video making it in the oven where she shows how to do it.
Hi Paul. You're right I never said it in the video! I pulled at 133°F, wrapped it in foil and a towel and rested in a cooler for exactly 1 hour. When it came out of the cooler it temped at 132°, but as you can see from the color it had to get warmer than that, so I'm assuming continuation cooking probably took it up to 138° or so and I caught it on the way back down. I hope this helps! -Al
@@BehindTheFoodTV yes thank you. That was all I was looking for when I clicked in. You’re doing great with the camera work and process explanations and I got a lot more out of the video towards my first lamb on pellet smoke coming up this weekend.
@@PhaedruS007 that's an awesome question, Paul! Some muscles have more connective tissue than others. Shoulders, for example, have so much collagen and connective tissue that if you cook them to medium rare they will be safe, but so tough that they will be basically inedible. This is true of pork shoulder, lamb shoulder, goat, etc. Bringing them up over 200 allows the collagen to render into gelatin and allows all of the wonderful intramuscular fat to render and absorb into the muscle fibers. Legs, on the other hand, have some connective tissue, but not a lot. So as long as you're over 130° the fat will at least partially render so it will be tender and juicy. Now just to complicate things, legs are one of those cuts that actually can be taken up to "pulling temp". In fact in a few weeks on January 30th I'll be publishing a video of a goat leg that I took to over 200° and pulled. Two totally different experiences - pulled meat over 200 vs sliced meat medium or lower. The only thing that's a really bad idea is the range in between - Well Done. With well done meat you don't get the tender juicy meat of medium rare, and it's too tough to pull. Sorry for the long answer - I hope this helps explain it!
Nope! I doubt it would make a big difference and you really don't want to leave that grass fed lamb fat exposed to open air for longer than you have to.
Qik tip - pop down to ur local Indian spice store & buy the crushed ginger garlic mix. Gets in beta Dan slices. Can still do garlic cloves in addition. Another flava pumper is to push cloves into da gashes but remember to take it out before serving. I like to soak it in red wine for a night den do da Dry rub.
Cheers from the US of A Craig! I rest my creations in a cooler. You will get some temp drop but really only a few degrees in an hour. Come back please and let me know how it turns out when you do it!
Gonna have to unsubscribe... lol totally kidding I think you’re on to something I’ll definitely stay tuned in. That leg of lamb looked amazing. Look forward to more videos!
Sorry, I did not feel this recipe. I can’t see how any seasonings, if any would get into the meat with meat already pasted with mustard. I suppose it’s a matter of preference. I like the meats to be flavorful, i.e. seasons down to the last muscle.
Hi Ash. Interesting point. Stay tuned - I'm filming a binder experiment tomorrow to see if binders are a good or bad idea. Watch for it in a few weeks!
Sorry you didn’t like it, Denis. The amazing thing about perfectly smoked quality lamb is that it doesn’t need sauce. Just like perfectly smoked quality pulled pork shoulder - the meat can speak for itself. Of course to each his own - if you prefer sauce you should enjoy yours that way!
Thanks Jaehoon - and cheers from the US of A! I'm almost positive that they ship down under - if you go to emv4.me/Flamethrower and navigate to the shipping page there should be details. If not please come back and let me know and I'll reach out to them for you. -Al
I bought the Matador 2kW electric charcoal starter for $39 from Bunnings and it works really well for getting the BBQ up to temp quickly. You need an outdoor power point and an extension cord near your BBQ though.
