SR wrote:Hype wrote:I got pretty good at smokin some KC-style ribs this summer thanks to Meathead.. still have a rack to get in before the snow.
Over the winter I want to give brisket / pastrami a shot but I gotta find the time and figure out how to set up the garage.
Just did a pan-fried butter-basted t-bone that was damn-near perfect. Pulled it off at 128F, rendered down the fat strip a bit, rested for 10 mins.
I haven't done a roast leg of lamb in a few years, but I might give it a shot in the BBQ this Xmas/Easter.
I am a fairly good cook with some excellent knife skills, but I have never attempted BBQ. I love it and respect the form, but I don't think I have the patience.
Did you use brown butter or clarified butter for the baste, and what type of pan did you use? And funny, the older I get the higher temps I like. MR suits me fine for high fat most proteins.....a filet I still like rare though.
Love leg of lamb; I generally stuff mine as I like a foil for the richness/gaminess of the meat. When lazy, I do a simple mushroom duxelle, but I have tried dried berry blends too.
Too, this is where I really miss alcohol. With all my years of abuse, wine was never part of that race to oblivion. I bring it up, because the right pair is such an excellent compliment to food.
This year I want to score, season and bring to a MR duck breast.
I love BBQ because it combines fine detail with extreme patience... literally the same skills I use for my academic work.
I am absolutely obsessive about the temps/timing, charcoal, smoke, etc., and have had really good luck so far.
For the steak: I used regular old salted butter because it was all we had in the fridge. I used a heavy cast-iron pan, heated with a little bit of canola oil to near-smoke-point. Steak was room temp, dry-brined for 45 mins. One minute each side at very high heat to brown, then drop the heat a bit (pan keeps most of it, but don't want to keep going up), then toss the butter in and spoon it over each side for a minute or so. Held the fat to the pan for 30 seconds to a minute to caramelize/render/crisp a bit. I'm pretty good at telling doneness with the thumb-forefinger technique, but with steak I prefer to be more exact, so thermometer in. 128F should rise to about 135, but no more -- it wasn't as thick a steak as I wanted, only an inch, so I was trying to avoid over-cooking. It was perfect rare inside, melted like butter. Cracked pepper garnish. Now that you mention it, though, clarified butter would be a really good way to go.
The way I've done leg of lamb in the past is just a mustard rub with tons of garlic and fresh rosemary and mint. We get fresh Canadian lamb up here that's pretty good, so I try to let it speak for itself. Some people hate the smell, but if you get it right, that shouldn't be a problem. I like the idea of duxelles with it, but it might be a bit too rich. It needs acid to cut that -- berries sounds good, but maybe a cranberry-blackberry jus...
The one thing I've never tried, but is one of my all-time favourite foods that I tend to use to test whether a restaurant has chops is duck confit. That might be a winter project as well -- getting it right, though, seems very difficult.