I recently tried out this really simple recipe over the Easter weekend and … what a success! It gave an exquisite Indian twist to a spring stable food in our house. We even had a diner, who said they didn’t really like lamb, raving about how good this was.
Ingredients to serve 6 people
■ 2-2.5kg leg of lamb
■ Cucumber raita, to serve
■ Naan bread, to serve
Spice Paste
■ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
■ 1 teaspoon sea salt
■ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
■ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
■ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
■ 1 teaspoon chilli powder
■ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
■ 3 garlic cloves, crushed
■ 2cm ginger, grated
■ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
■ 1/3 cup natural yoghurt
Method
Mix together all the spice paste ingredients. Using a sharp knife, cut deep cuts into the meat. Rub the spice mix all over the leg of lamb and into the deep cuts and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours or preferably overnight.
Set up your barbecue for indirect cooking with a smoker box. Fill the smoker box with soaked wood chips. I would recommend mesquite or hickory. Place one smoker box at the back of the BBQ or gas grill. Preheat your barbecue for roasting with a smoker box, the burner(s) on high and the lid closed for 25 to 30 minutes. Or if cooking over charcoal, wait for 20 minutes for the charcoal to reach temperature.
Once your barbecue has preheated and your smoker box has started smoking, place your lamb on a part of the BBQ away from the direct heat.
Cook on a low temperature between 110 degrees Celsius to 120 degrees Celsius for about 1.5 hours to 2 hours until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 54 to 55 degrees Celsius which is perfect for medium rare. If you want medium or well done, let the internal temperature of the lamb reach 60 or 68 degrees Celsius, respectively, and cook longer.
Once your lamb is cooked, remove from the barbecue and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the lamb and serve with cucumber raita and naan bread. Also good with a veg curry and basmati rice, depending on how hungry you are!
Article supplied by Chris Winstanley from Moveison outdoor living store near Lagos
