Recipe Source: Perry Lang, Adam. Serious Barbeque. Hyperion, New York, 2009 pp. 228-229
We recently had some friends over for dinner to celebrate one of their birthdays. She is a big fan of smoked meat, and I decided to try something new from this cookbook, which I recently acquired and have thoroughly enjoyed. I settled on this Moroccan 'Mechoui' lamb dish, as I knew everyone attending likes lamb, and it sounded pretty interesting.
I really didn't make many changes to the recipe except to substitute store-bought orange juice for the fresh-squeezed called for in the book, as I realized we forgot to buy oranges when I started cooking. I had some trouble making a foil packet to hold the dried apricots and orange juice as the recipe called for. I couldn't quite get the foil to seal, and the orange juice kept leaking out. Finally, I grabbed a disposable aluminum loaf pan we had on hand, put the mixture in there, and sealed the top with foil. This ended up working fine. Also, I used less than the half cup of olive oil recommended for dressing the cutting board, as I didn't think the meat needed the extra fat.
Everyone really liked this dish a lot. The lamb came out extremely tender, with nice smoke flavor blending with the mix of Moroccan spices. The apricot preserves combined with the dried apricots added a touch of sweetness that nicely complimented the spices and the flavor of the meat itself. We had almost none left over, despite serving 7 lbs of lamb for 5 people. Sure sign of a winner.
Six Hour Moroccan Leg of Lamb (Serves 6-8)
Equipment Required
- Big Green Egg or other smoker
- Food-safe spray bottle
- Heavy duty tin foil
- Disposable aluminum loaf or pie pan (optional but recommended)
One 7 to 7.5 lb leg of lamb, bone removed
10 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thirds
Seasoning Blend
2 tablespoons mild chile powder (I used chipotle)
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Apple Juice Spray
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple juice
Wrapping Mixture
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
Apricots
1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2" slices
3/4 cup orange juice
Preserve Blend
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Finishing Dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Coarsely ground salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
- Using the point of a paring knife, make a series of evenly spaced incisions on the surface of the meat and insert the garlic.
- Combine the seasoning blend ingredients. Moisten the lamb with water, and rub the seasoning blend into the meat. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours.
- Prepare your smoker for indirect cooking at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. In my large Big Green Egg, I set up with my plate setter legs up, and a drip pan between the legs. I used chunks of hickory for smoke.
- Remove the meat from the plastic, place over the drip pan, and smoke for 4 hours. Spray with the apple juice spray once per hour.
- Combine the wrapping mixture ingredients. Lay out a double sheet of aluminum foil big enough to wrap the lamb. Remove the lamb from the smoker and place in the center of the foil. Turn up the sides of the foil, pour the wrapping mixture over the lamb, and securely wrap with the foil. Return to the smoker for one hour.
- Put the dried apricots and orange juice into a disposable aluminum dish (or attempt making a foil packet to hold them), and cover with foil.
- Remove the lamb from the smoker and allow to rest, still wrapped, for 30 minutes.
- Unwrap the lamb. Stir together the preserves and lemon juice, and reserve half for the cutting board. Brush the entire surface of the lamb with the rest.
- If using a ceramic smoker like a Big Green Egg, carefully remove the grid and drip pan. Put the packet containing the apricots and orange juice directly on the plate setter, then replace the grid and put the lamb back in the smoker. If you are using another type of cooker, put the packet in the hottest part of your cooker. Cook the lamb for another 30 minutes.
- Brush the reserved preserve blend onto your cutting board, drizzle on some olive oil, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Top with the lamb. Spray again with the apple juice, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Slice the lamb against the grain into 1/4" thick slices, dredging to coat with the blend on the cutting board. Add additional preserve blend as needed. Season with salt and pepper, and arrange the apricots from the packet on the board. Serve directly from the board.