Smoked Rack of Lamb

Smoked Rack of Lamb is amazing. Its flavorful, its delicious and you can find it local in Canada! Ontario and Alberta are two of the largest producing lamb provinces in Canada, where >800K sheep grow domestically. I like buying local knowing that I’m supporting one of over 10,000 farms and families.

Past the fun facts, lamb pairs well with a variety of flavors and is easy to cook – think of it like a steak. Lamb especially pairs well with smoke, so cooking it on high heat will enable the meat to caramelize and the fat to sizzle. The BBQ sizzle is the best part! A rack of lamb comes from the loin area, high on the animal and a butcher can easily you “french” the meat between the rib bones and or you can purchase the lamb ready, often in the grocery store!

For the “Easter” Supper Challenge theme this week, I was excited to have a chance to BBQ lamb. With a little research, I was surprised to learn that ham is not the historic Easter meal. It seems that the “sacrificial lamb” in Christianity is the traditional Easter meal outside of North America (especially in Europe). This led to my confusion with Easter ham in North America, when hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured, ready in the spring. With sheep as a less common domesticated animal in North America, ham took the place of lamb in Easter celebrations. I greatly appreciate lamb, so for this week’s meal, I was lucky enough to enjoy this tender, mouthwatering treat.

Taste: Succulent, juicy with a caramelized crust, smoked rack of lamb is a new BBQ everyone should all try
Tenderness: Tender and perfectly bite through
Doneness: I pulled my lamb off the pit at 140F.

Smoked Rack of Lamb

Rack of Lamb typically calls for a fancy meal; what if you can smoke the lamb in your own backyard?

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Equipment

• Smoker (I prefer Gateway Drum Smoker)
• Long reach tongs

Ingredients

  

• Rack of Lamb frenched
• Steak spice rub recommend to stay away from spice rubs with high sugar content as it will burn

Instructions

 

• Place the lamb meat (or fat) is facing upwards. Using a sharp knife, gently score the fat every ½ inch in a crisscross design.
• Flip the lamb so the bones are facing upwards. Pull up the silvery membrane along an edge, by using a knife or the back of a spoon to lift.  Using a paper towel for grip, pull the membrane away.
• Season bone side with steak spice rub.
• Flip over and season the ends, the top and the meat side with steak spice rub.
• Allow meat to sit in fridge for an hour.
• Warm smoker up to 450F (or on Gateway Drum Smoker, warm up to 300F, place rack on the lowest rung, closest to the fire)
• Warm smoker up to 450F or on Gateway Drum Smoker, warm up to 300F, place rack on the lowest rung, closest to the fire.
• Place rack of lamb onto smoker with the bone side down, keeping the meat and the fat layer up (This is intentional to more slowly render the fat on the top and prevent from excessive smoking). Cook for 10 minutes.
• Flip lamb so the meat or fat side is down and bones are facing upwards. Cook for 15 minutes. It is likely the fat will have rendered and created a lot of smoke – no worries, this means the fat is rendering and there is flavor being created on the bark of the lamb
• Flip lamb so the bones are down and meat is facing upwards. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Using an instant read thermometer, remove from the smoker, 5F degrees below desired finishing temperature. If meat is not done yet, cook in 3-5 minute increments, flipping each side for even cooking.

  Rare 120-124F (46C to 51C)

  Medium Rare 125-134F (52C to 57C)

  Medium 135-144F (57C to 62C)

  Medium Well 145-154F (63C to 67C)

  Well +155F (+68C)
• Allow to rest for 15-30 minutes. Slice between the bones.

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