Smoked leg of lamb with Dijon, rosemary and Blonde beer
- Preparation 10 min
- Refrigeration 12 h
- Cooking 4 h
- Servings 4 to 6
- Freezing Absolutely
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🥂 A centerpiece for hosting friends in spring or summer
This smoked leg of lamb is the kind of recipe I make when I have friends over and want to spoil them! It’s definitely a recipe for company: lamb is expensive, and smoking it takes time. It’s a spring and summer recipe, absolutely.
🍯 A blonde beer, Dijon and honey marinade
The marinade brings together blonde beer, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, lemon zest and fresh rosemary. The lamb goes in the night before, in the fridge, and while it smokes you baste it with the rest of the marinade, using a brush made of rosemary sprigs.
💸 The price, said plainly, and New Zealand lamb
A cut this size runs around $100. You can also buy a leg of lamb from New Zealand, since it’s relatively cheaper, but the taste simply won’t be the same!!!
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🌡️ Keep the smoker between 225 and 250°F
This is the most important point in the recipe: between 225°F (105°C) and 250°F (120°C) from start to finish. A smoker that runs too hot means dry meat, no question.
🥩 I take it out at 130°F, no higher
The recipe gives you benchmarks: pink at 135°F (55°C), medium at 150°F (65°C). Me, I pull it at almost 130°F (54°C), so it stays pink and keeps cooking gently while it rests under the foil. My meat and fish cooking temperature guide has the rest of the benchmarks.
🔥 No smoker? A barbecue will do
You can absolutely do this on a gas or charcoal barbecue. You need a smoker box or basket to smoke your wood, and you keep the meat over indirect heat.
🌳 Any wood works, but apple is milder
Every wood works. Apple gives a gentler smoke, which leaves room for the lamb, the rosemary and the mustard.
🌿 The rosemary brush
This is my favorite little detail in the recipe: you tie the two whole rosemary sprigs to the handle of a wooden spoon and use it as a brush to baste the lamb with the fresh marinade. No need to buy a brush, and the herbs perfume the meat as you baste.
🪵 A handful of wood every hour
A big handful straight onto the coals, every hour, while you baste.
📅 Make the marinade the day before
The 12 hours of marinating happen in the fridge, in the bag, with half of the marinade and the rosemary. The other half stays separate in the fridge: that’s the one you baste with during smoking.
✅ What to serve with my smoked leg of lamb with Dijon, rosemary and blonde beer?
I serve it with my asparagus and prosciutto rolls with grilled sesame seeds and my roasted garlic and thyme baby potatoes, which I made precisely to go with it. For a full lamb meal, my grilled rack of lamb with cilantro pesto also pairs well with those sides.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 ml) blonde beer
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) honey
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Québec leg of lamb, about 4.9 lb (2.2 kg)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, cut in half + 2 whole sprigs
- Apple wood chips for smoking
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Preparation
- In a large bowl, pour in the beer, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic and lemon zest and stir well.
- Place the leg of lamb in a large resealable freezer bag, then pour half of the marinade over the meat (set the rest of the marinade aside in the fridge). Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the rosemary sprigs cut in half. Seal the bag, toss to coat, then refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F (120°C).
- Remove the meat from the bag and let it drip for a moment. Place it in the middle of the grill, or over indirect heat, and cook covered for 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours. The meat will be pink at 135°F (55°C) and medium at 150°F (65°C). It’s very important to keep the smoker temperature between 225°F (105°C) and 250°F (120°C) the whole time!
- Smoke the meat every hour by adding a big handful of wood chips directly onto the hot coals! At the same time, baste the meat generously with the fresh marinade, using the remaining rosemary sprigs. To make your brush, simply tie the 2 whole sprigs to the handle of a wooden spoon and use the herbs to baste!
- When the meat reaches the doneness you want, take it out of the smoker and cover it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving!
- Serve with my asparagus and prosciutto rolls with grilled sesame seeds and my roasted garlic and thyme baby potatoes!
Marinate the lamb for 12 hours in the fridge in the beer, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, zest and rosemary. Preheat the smoker to 250°F (120°C), place the meat in the middle of the grill or over indirect heat and cook covered for 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, keeping the smoker between 225°F and 250°F. Add a handful of wood every hour and baste with the fresh marinade. Rest for 10 minutes under foil.
Yes. It works on a gas or charcoal barbecue, absolutely. You need a smoker box or basket for the wood, and the meat cooks over indirect heat.
Any wood works, but apple is milder. It’s the one I use for this leg of lamb.
Yes, it freezes. It won’t be quite as good, that’s for sure, but you won’t be wasting it. You can slice it before freezing.
My asparagus and prosciutto rolls with grilled sesame seeds and my roasted garlic and thyme baby potatoes go really well with it. I made them for exactly that.
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