Brining a leg of lamb is a delicious way to prepare a whole leg. After it's brined it can be smoked or roasted.
Serves 4-6
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Brining Time12 hourshrs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Leg of lamb
Servings: 6People
Calories: 6kcal
Equipment
1 large pot for brining
Ingredients
One whole leg of lambabout 3-4 lbs
2dried bay leaves
8tablespoonssalt
2qtwater
1small onionchopped
2large cloves garliccrushed with the back of a knife
1teaspoonblack pepper corns
1rib celerychopped
1carrotchopped
A few sprigs of fresh rosemary or thymeoptional, use a good pinch of dried if you don’t have fresh
Instructions
Brine
Bring the brine ingredients to a boil then cool.
Submerge the leg of lamb in the brine in a small pot or similar container (or a thick plastic bag set into a flat tray or Tupperware to prevent spills) where it will fit snugly. Refrigerate the roast for at least 12 and up to 24 hours.
Remove the roast, pat dry, and rub with 2-3 teaspoons of oil.
Smoking
Smoke the roast at 250F until a thermometer entered in the center reads 137-140F. This should take roughly 2-3 hours depending on the temperature outside around the smoker.
Roasting
To roast the brined leg, preheat an oven to 450F. Put the lamb on a baking sheet lined with a roasting rack, roast for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 250F and cook until 137-140F in the center.
Remove the roast from the oven or smoker and allow to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes. You can put it in a warm oven to reheat for a bit before serving if you want.
Carve the lamb with a long knife and serve on heated plates with seasonal vegetables. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice might be all it needs.
Notes
Either goat or lamb legs can be prepared this way. Make sure to save some for sandwiches.