Barbecue Lamb Recipe

While lamb might not be a one of the meats think about grilling, no other meat benefits more from the fire like lamb. Tradition has dictated that spring is the time for lamb. Young lamb used to be brought to market in April and May to be bought up and savored for its juicy, delicate flavor. Nowadays, thanks to controlled breeding young lamb can be had year round. However, you might find a narrow selection of lamb products at the local supermarket so you might need to drop by a specialty shop or meat market. What to look for? Sheep are slaughtered at a wide variety of ages. Lamb refers to young sheep aging from one week to about eight months. After this it is referred to as mutton or yearling lamb.

With increasing standardization in the meat packing industry, what you will generally find is that lamb on the market is not as young as it used to be. The typical lamb will weigh in at 32 lbs. and mutton at 50 lbs. The reason for the preference of lamb is that as a sheep ages the meat becomes tougher and stronger in flavor. The way to tell the age of the lamb is by size. The smaller the cut the younger the lamb. The younger the lamb the milder the flavor and the more tender the meat. So, what do you do with lamb/mutton? Why you grill it of course. The best cuts to go for are the loin, leg, rump and ribs. You can grill up these cuts just as you would pork or beef, but you will get something extra, namely a tough, strong flavor meal. The secret of cooking lamb and mutton is in the tenderizing and marinating.

To cook up a tender piece of lamb or mutton you need to first tenderize and marinade. Depending on what cut you're using, take the meat and pound it well with a meat tenderizer. This will help breakdown the meat density, allowing it to cook more evenly and allowing the fats and tendons to breakdown more. Then apply a marinade. You'll want to let this sit for a good day, or at least overnight. Traditional marinades for lamb start with olive oil and end up with a seasoning of mint, lemon or garlic. I prefer the garlic.

Adding mint to lamb is in my opinion just a way to cover the strong flavor of older cuts. When grilling, make sure the surface of the meat has a good coating of oil. Lamb will stick more than some other meats. When smoking or barbecuing, give it a good marinade and stuffing. With large cuts of lamb, make incisions into the meat and add whole garlic cloves. Sprinkle with parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, bay leaves, etc. Remember that lamb has a strong flavor. Don't hide it; complement it. Garlic, olive oil, wine, basil, thyme, rosemary, pepper, dry mustard, curry powder add to the flavor of lamb.

Barbecue Lamb Chops Recipe
Here is a simple recipe for lamb chops.

Ingredients
2 tbs clear honey
3 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs soft brown sugar
2 tbs cornflour
Zest of 1 orange, plus 2 tbs juice
2 tbs Schwartz Lamb Seasoning Simply Shake Seasoning
8 lamb chops

Preparation
Mix together the ingredients for basting sauce. Paint the sauce onto both sides of the chops. Grill or barbecue, basting and turning frequently for about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked.

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