Try This Easy Smoked Leg of Lamb Recipe

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call 317-688-7290!

For Great Smoked Meats and BBQ, Call
317-688-7290!

Lamb meat is a wonderful option for switching up the monotony of the everyday cuts of meat you serve for lunch and dinner. It can be a part of a nutritious and sensible diet too. Lamb is rich in nutrients and meets all the FDA requirements for lean meat. A 3 ounce portion contains 175 calories or so, and provides more than quadruple the amount of essential omega-3 fatty and alpha-linolenic acids compared to a similar portion of beef. It is also reasonably priced. A 5 lb. whole boneless leg of lamb costs around $25 at your local Costo®, which can easily feed a family of 8!

Additional Benefits Include:

It delivers excellent protein.
It offers an abundant source of iron.
It boosts the immune system.
It contains healthy fats.
It promotes nervous system health.

Smoked Boneless Lamb Leg

Although you might not find fresh lamb meat at your neighborhood market as easily as you would beef or pork, it is very much worth your while to track down a local specialty shop or store that provides a variety of lamb cuts. Pick out a whole boneless leg of lamb, and then amaze your family and friends with this incredibly easy and delicious smoked lamb leg recipe!

What You Will Need:

Fresh Rosemary – 2 Tablespoons, Finely Chopped
Fresh Thyme – 1 Tablespoon, Finely Chopped
Fresh Garlic – 5 Cloves, Minced
Course Sea Salt – 2 Tablespoons
Course Ground Black Pepper – 1 Tablespoon
Butcher String/Twine
Cutting Board
Large Platter
Small Bowl
Standard Meat Smoker

Want to Use a Baste to Prevent Drying Out?

What You Will Need:

Red Wine Vinegar – 1 Cup
Vegetable Oil – ½ Cup
Sea Salt – 1 Teaspoon
Course Ground Black Pepper – ½ Teaspoon
Chopped Rosemary – ½ Teaspoon
Chopped Thyme – ½ Teaspoon
Garlic – 5 Cloves, Minced

GREAT TIP: Instead of a traditional meat mop, tie a bunch of fresh herbs to a long stick and use this to baste your lamb during the smoking process.

Getting Started:

Remove any netting around the lamb meat, and then rinse it in cold water. Blot it dry with a clean paper towel and transfer it to the platter.

Brush the entire outside of the lamb leg with olive oil. Be sure to cover all sides, including where the bone was removed. Now you are ready to season.

Combine the herbs and garlic into a small bowl and set aside. Then generously sprinkle the salt and pepper on all surface areas of the meat. Next, apply your garlic mixture in the same way.

NOTE: If you are smoking a bone-in lamb leg, try cutting small slits into the meat for better seasoning saturation.

Next, tie up the lamb leg as you would a traditional roast. For help, see our recent blog, “3 Reasons Why You Should Tie a Roast.” There, you will find a quick guide to tying a roast.

After you tie up your lamb, set it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours to allow the seasonings to absorb into the meat.

One hour prior to placing it in the smoker, take it out of the refrigerator and let is reach room temperature.

Set your smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to use a mild wood, such as Cherry, Grape, or Maple. See our blog on “Various Wood Chip Options for Smoking Meat” for some helpful tips.

Smoke your leg of lamb for 2 hours and 15 minutes, or until internal temperatures are right where you want them to be. Smoked lamb leg is best served medium rare to medium, which is around 140 -145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Where to Get Great Smoked BBQ Near You

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ offers a wide selection of delicious smoked meats and southern comfort foods that are sure to please the entire family. If you don’t have time to sit down at our Carmel BBQ restaurant, place a takeout order for a hot and fresh meal on the go! Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.

Top-Rated and Recommended Pellet Smokers on the Market

Want To Look Like a Real BBQ Pitmaster?

With these popular, easy-to-use pellet smokers, YOU CAN!

Whether for tailgating, semi-pro smoking, or just at-home cooking, there are plenty of fantastic pellet smoker options on the market that consumers say are the best. Continue reading to learn which pellet smokers are recommended for all these activities and more!

Smoked Meat Dinners 317-688-7290

Smoked Meat Dinners 317-688-7290


If you are new to smoking and grilling, check out our blog about The 3 Steps to Choosing a Smoker, where you will find some popular and highly-reviewed beginner brands for smoking meats. But if you are more familiar with smoking and grilling meats, the top-rated, affordable pellet smokers listed below are great options to consider!

GREAT FOR AT-HOME:

Camp Chef® PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker

Retail Price: $499.00

This grill is great for both traveling and cooking at home. It is designed with advanced digital temperature reading, so you can rest assure you’ll get great results without much effort. Homeowners also love the ash can clean-out system feature that makes clean up a breeze!

Grilla Grills® Silverbac Smoker

Retail Price: $749.00

The Silverbac® wood pellet grill is considered to be one of the best overall values among consumers. It renders excellent results with its heat retention and durability qualities. Designed with a heavy-duty 12-gauge steel body and 14-gauge stainless steel lid, this should come as no surprise!

GREAT SMOKER FOR TAILGATING:

Green Mountain Grills® Davy Crockett Pellet Grill

Retail Price: $339.00

This grill is highly noted for its digital Wi-Fi controller that lets you to supervise and control the temperature of the smoker from anywhere in your house. Not only are they ideal for tailgating and camping, they are perfectly suited for at-home grilling too!

GREAT SMOKER FOR SEMI-PROS:

Rec Tec Grills® The Bull RT-700

Retail Price: $1,199

Although it comes with a hefty price tag, buyers agree that the initial investment is worth it in the end. It comes with integral Wi-Fi technology that lets you monitor and alter the temperature from anywhere in the house. But consumers really love the 40-lb. hopper and interior LED!

Traeger® TFB29LZA Grills Junior Elite Grill Smoker

Retail Price: $429.00

This highly versatile grill is actually great option for both beginners and experienced smokers, and especially for those who have limited space or storage. This product can do it all, from grilling and smoking, to roasting, braising, barbecuing, and even baking!

All of these grills and smokers are available for purchase at Amazon.com.

No Time to Grill? Come to Racks BBQ in Carmel!

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Visit Rackz BBQ in Carmel, Indiana for delicious smoked meat entrees, hand-crafted barbecue sauces, and homemade side items, and more! From appetizers and sandwiches, to salads, entrees, and desserts, there is much to choose from on our comprehensive BBQ menu, so be sure to try them all! Contact us during regular business hours at 317-688-7290 to ask us about our menu prices, weekly specials, and more. We accept call-ahead and takeout orders too!

Tips for Excellent Smoked Chicken

If smoked chicken is on your family’s dinner menu this weekend, everyone is in for a real treat. Not only is poultry an excellent option for smoking, it can be seasoned and customized in a vast array of flavors. Even better, it’s one of the easiest and most forgiving cuts of meat to work with. This is great news if you have never smoked a chicken before.

Continue reading to learn how to smoke a chicken, as well as, some tips that can guarantee fantastic, high-quality results, every time!

Smoked Chicken Dinners 317-688-7290

Smoked Chicken Dinners 317-688-7290

Start With a Fresh Cut of Meat

The most basic tip you can follow when it comes to excellent smoked chicken is to always choose a fresh cut. Avoid frozen chickens at all costs, and go for a fresh, never-frozen product. If you have to use a frozen chicken, you can still get good results if you use it in time and thaw it properly. When choosing a fresh chicken, be sure it is within its freshness date, and has a good look and healthy color.

Furthermore, you do not want to see a lot of juice, or “solution” packed inside with your bird. These reddish solutions are chemical brines that are often added to packaged chicken to make them look plump and appealing. Although these chemical brines make a chicken look great, they greatly reduce the quality of flavor.

Get Enough Bird

Chicken goes fast when it hits the table, so be sure to avoid one of the most common mistakes made when smoking chicken: not buying enough to feed everyone. Look for a 4 or 5 pound whole chicken if you are feeding just one or two people. This will be enough for dinner and some lunch sandwiches or salads the next day. If you are serving more than 4 or 5 people, you should prepare two whole chickens to plan for enough food.

Get Your Temperatures and Times Right

There are literally thousands of recommendations for temperature and time when it comes to smoking chicken. As you grow along the learning curve of smoking meats, you will gain your own preference and perspective of proper times and temperatures. These will vary from person to person depending on a wide variety of factors, like oven settings, type of equipment, and more.

As for a basic guide, smoke your chicken at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes per pound of meat. Your chicken is done when an internal meat thermometer reads 185 degrees Fahrenheit at the center of the breast, and 195 degrees Fahrenheit in the thighs.

Since chicken skin can act as a barrier to smoke and heat, it is a great tip to increase the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour during the smoking process so that the skin is crispy and can be bitten through with ease. If you do not do this step, you risk having rubbery skin.

Choose a Favorable Wood

There are woods to avoid when smoking meats, and there are various popular woods for smoking meat. Just be sure to know the difference and choose a wood that compliments your choice of meat. For smoked chicken, a sweeter wood is usually the best choice. This includes varieties like apple, cherry, or any other fruit woods. These woods will provide great smokiness without overpowering the gentle meat with too much flavor. DO NOT USE Eastern cedar, cypress, elm, eucalyptus, liquid amber, pine, redwood, fir, spruce, and sycamore. These trees are high in resin and oils that cause a thick smoke when lit.

Enjoy the Outstanding Smoked Chicken at Rackz BBQ!

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ offers a wide selection of delicious smoked meats and southern comfort foods that are sure to please the entire family. If you don’t have time to sit down at our Carmel BBQ restaurant, place a takeout order for a hot and fresh meal on the go! Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.

The Benefits of Spit Roasting

Back in prehistoric times, spit roasting essentially arose as the third greatest grilling technology available to man, right after shish kabobs and direct fire grilling. As a result, spit roasting is one of the oldest and most common methods of barbecuing. After so many generations, spit roasting remains a popular cooking method for a variety of reasons, including versatility, convenience, and consistency.

Continue reading to learn more about spit roasting, including its various advantages, recommended accessories for the job, and more.

Smoked Pulled Pork Dinners 317-688-7290

Smoked Pulled Pork Dinners 317-688-7290

Historical Methods of Spit Roasting

Throughout history, the method of spit roasting has taken many forms. In the beginning, spit roasters were manually operated by servants referred to as “spit jacks”, who turned the roasting meat by hand. As civilizations grew, spit roasting evolved as well. Dogs running on treadmills were a popular method of operating spit roasters for a while, and eventually, technology stepped in and supplied power via steam, mechanical clockworks, and finally, electricity.

What is Spit Roasting?

Spit roasting is a form of indirect grilling over medium-low to medium heat. It is a perfect cooking method for fatty cuts, or cuts that are cylindrical in shape, such as whole birds, pork loins, rib roasts, pork shoulders, and lamb legs. For larger crowds, whole lambs, goats, and hogs are also perfect for spit roasting. In countries like Brazil, they use spit roasters to cook vegetables and fruits, like pineapples, cabbages, and onions.

Many barbecue experts recommend using charcoal for spit roasting because it is easy to produce smoke by tossing in soaked wood chips or extra chunks of charcoal as the meat cooks. However, many gas grills are now available with rotisserie mounts and rear-mounted rotisserie burners. If you want to spit roast over a campfire or in a fireplace, it is recommended to purchase quality spit-roasting equipment with a really good motor. Recommended accessories for spit roasting include grilling baskets, roasting string, drip pans, and campfire kits.

Why Spit Roast?

There are several advantages of spit roasting. Have you ever seen a succulent, juicy cut of meat spinning slowly on a turnspit next to a fire? The smells and smoky flavors are just the start of why spit roasting is so great. Here are some additional benefits:

🔥 Slow and gentle cooking renders succulent, juicy, and tender meat.

🔥 Slowly rotating meat ensures even browning and caramelization of the meat proteins.

🔥 Slow roasting cooks meat evenly.

🔥 Slowly rotating promotes “self-basting” because melting fats and juices flow through and over the meat as it cooks.

🔥 Spit roasting can be done using charcoal, wood, or gas, or you can do it in a fireplace or over a campfire.

Visit Rackz BBQ for Tender and Juicy Smoked Meats!

Rackz BBQ Carmel, IN 317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ
317-688-7290

Rackz BBQ is eager to impress you with our delicious, made from scratch barbecue cuisines. As a Carmel BBQ restaurant dedicated to quality and value, you can trust us for exceptional customer service, neighborhood prices, and most importantly, authentic barbecue fare that you will love. Contact us at 317-688-7290 to place a call ahead order, or to learn more about our menu selections, prices, and specials.