Nothing says springtime like lamb on the barbie. Here are our top picks for lamb dishes that you’ll love.

23rd September, 2021

Cooking lamb on your outdoor BBQ and BBQ grill is the perfect way to welcome spring. Lamb meat has more zinc and iron than non-red meats and it is also naturally rich in protein and vitamin-B.

Here are some things to keep in mind when BBQing lamb meat.

Choosing a cut

Knowing the different cuts of lamb takes you a step closer to preparing it well. This is because different cuts have different preparation methods and times.

• Shoulder: The shoulder meat has lots of juice and flavour as this part of the animal works hard. Because it takes a while to become tender, slow and low cooking is best to get the most delicious results. We suggest cooking this part on the bone so a fork can easily break the meat apart.
• Cutlets/Rack: This part of the lamb is the most expensive part and is extremely tender. Cutlets are taken from the rib bones and cooked individually. They are best prepared by quick grilling or roasting. We think that they are best plated up a little pink so that you can properly enjoy the crisp skin and tender meat.
• Loin: These come from the waist of the lamb. To get the best flavours, the loins should be roasted, grilled or quick fried. It’s a prized lamb cut because of its tenderness, with flavours that burst in your mouth.
• Rump: This comes from the back of the lamb and is lean and incredibly flavoursome.  Be careful when cooking this cut as it’s easy to overcook. For best results, we suggest pan-frying it and then popping it in the oven for the last few minutes.
• Leg: The leg meat is lean and full of rich bold flavour because, as with the shoulder, is a part of the animal that also works hard. It’s perfect for slow roasting to achieve a cooked meat that simply melts in the mouth.

Lamb marinades

Enrich the flavours of your lamb meat with these lamb marinade recipes. Small lamb cuts should be marinated for 4 to 5 hours while bigger cuts for 8 to 24 hours.

Greek marinade

Combine the juice of 2 lemons, ¼ cup olive oil, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon roughly chopped thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon sea salt and ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper. Mix thoroughly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before using.

Honey mustard marinade

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar,  1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Lamb dishes for your outdoor kitchen

Marinated Greek lamb souvlaki

This is one of our new recipes, maybe use our one here.

Ingredients:

• 1kg lamb leg or shoulder, cut into chunks
• Greek marinade, prepared as above
• 2 red onions, chopped
• skewers

For tzatziki sauce:

• 1 cucumber
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 500g strained yogurt
• a pinch of salt
• Half a handful of dill

For serving:

• 10 pita breads
• olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Fried potato

Cut the meat into equal-sized chunks. Add to the Greek marinade and add the red onions. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for at least 4 hours or if possible, let it rest overnight.

Prepare the tzatziki sauce by pouring the olive oil and garlic into a blender and blending until fully combined. Remove the skin and seed of the cucumber, grate it and remove all excess water. Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix the cucumber, the garlic and oil blend, the yogurt, dill and salt until thoroughly combined. Put aside in the fridge.

Use skewers to assemble the marinated lamb meat into kebabs. Heat the grill and cook the lamb kebabs for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Lightly brush both sides of the pita bread with olive oil. Season with salt and oregano. Throw it on your grill and remove it once slightly crispy and beginning to brown.

Serve lamb kebabs with the pita breads, tzatziki sauce and preferred fillings.

Honey mustard lamb cutlets

Ingredients:

• 8 lamb cutlets
• honey mustard marinade, prepared as above
• 1 sliced lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Rub the lamb cutlets with the honey mustard marinade and leave to marinate overnight.

Preheat the grill to around 150℃. Grill the lemon slices for about a minute per side, or until there are grill marks. Set aside.

Grill the lamb cutlets for about 5 to 7 minutes per side. Brush with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and then do the same once you have flipped the meat. 

Put the lamb cutlets on a plate and drizzle with the remaining marinade. Serve with the lemon slices on top.

Enjoy!

Cook a feast with outdoor kitchen appliances from Gasmate!