Barbecue Leg of Lamb
This is based on the idea from the River Cottage Handbook no’ 13 - Curing and Smoking. I say based on as I have used their technique for cooking the lamb, but my own spices for flavouring as, personally, I find theirs has far too much chilli for me.
Meat
A boneless leg of lamb - butterflied so it will lay flat on the grill
Spice Rub
This really depends on preference, Everything starts with salt when you are smoking, but after that it’s really your own taste.
(On the meat not the fat) - a good sprinkling of salt over the whole of the meat surface, then I use a sparse sprinkling of chilli powder and similar of ground black pepper and coriander powder, but a larger amount of cinnamon powder.
You could also use Persian 7 spice, Chinese mixed spice, you could add garlic…as long as you start with salt just add whatever flavours you fancy.
Rub the spices into the meat and then leave for around 24 hours to marinade.
Cooking
You need a barbecue with a lid for this, such as a barrel smoker or kettle barbecue.
You will also need wood chips for smoking, I tend to use ProQ wood chips
Heat the charcoal for your barbecue, wait until it is grey before cooking - don’t cook this over red hot coals.
If you have a water pan then half fill it and leave to one side, if you don’t have one then fill a foil tray with water and place it on one side of the coals.
Put two good handfuls of wood chips in another bowl of water.
Place the meat over the coals and cook for around 15 minutes. I tend to cook it until it just starts to caramelise on both the meat side and the fat side.
With a water pan - put your water pan into the barbecue, place your meat on the grill above and put a handful of wood chips on the charcoal (squeeze the excess water from them). Close the lid and leave (vents open) for about 30 minutes - at this point check if you need any more charcoal or wood chips, replenish if necessary and cook for another 15 minutes - so 45 minutes smoking time in total.
Without a water pan - move the meat so it sits on the grill over the water filled tray and put a handful of wood chips on the charcoal (squeeze the excess water from them). Close the lid and leave (vents open) for about 30 minutes - at this point check if you need any more charcoal or wood chips, replenish if necessary and cook for another 15 minutes - so 45 minutes smoking time in total.
Wrap the meat in foil and rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.