# The Best an Worst of my life - Whole Lamb Lebanese Style



## kansascitybbq

Well, this has to be the one of the best moments and one of the worst all at once… Actually, not sure where to start. 

12 years ago I purchased an offset Brinkman smoker, only because I didn’t like the taste of propane in my meat. Growing up in Kansas City, transporting to San Diego one can be desperate for REAL BBQ – Phils BBQ being nothing but a JOKE. Many, many, many sessions of burned, salty, rubbery, bbqs was in the Brinkman’s future;-)

Old friends and internet research, trial and error galore resulted in some BBQ that started to resemble some pretty good BBQ.  Pork Butts, Spare Ribs, Briskets all start to turn some heads. Finding my own resource for wood, cutting my own apple and oak trees in So Cal, huge!  Lets get to the point, after catering 100+ events, I was out growing the smoker (here comes the sad part) and she had to go.

What was next, the happy part – almost like a new father. The incoming Horizon 20” Ranger! Gods gift to us smokers, a welding delight. Ordering through Bass Pro was another painful experience, taking forever. 4 weeks turns into 6 and then 8…



















	

		
			
		

		
	
 With all options ordered, and calls every other day it finally arrives! Renting a trailer, I haul my butt up to the store making the commute back to San Diego in a 4pm So Cal traffic Jam. After what seemed to be the longest road trip ever, the stork has arrived and not a moment early.






	

		
			
		

		
	
No time to waste, I had planned a Lebanese style whole Lamb BBQ to break it in. With only 48 hours left before company arrives, the Ranger goes on a non-stop “bender” of seasoning smoke. But, before that was to go down - we just had to cook up some fresh caught lobster from a few days before ;-)

















With the seasoning gloss in place, I am ready to turn my attention back to the Lamb.

My dear Lebanese friend could not resist helping.







Trim, season, DRINK, laugh and drink some more. The Lebanese are so serious, the Irish not so much!













She goes on the next morning, butterflied and seasoned. 







All apple wood, LOW heat, and 6 hours later reaching the desired ham temp. Thrown on some pomegranate molasses glaze and we have some happy folks.







The cook and close friends needed some nibbles of the Ribs













No question, one of the best BBQs and 48 hours of my life!


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## moikel

Love it,lot of this style of stuff done down here but more in wood fired ovens or on spits.Spicing probabley stays the same.That pomegranate molasses is a good ingredient.Out of interest what does a store bought smoker like that cost?


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## chef jimmyj

That all looks totally awesome and congrats on the New Baby!...JJ


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## SmokinAl

Congrats on the new smoker!

The lamb looks delicious!


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## daveomak

That looks like so much fun and good eats.....  Congrats on the new smoker....  Many great Q's in its future....

Dave


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## mballi3011

Nice smoker and at first I thought that the lobsters were your Lebanese lamb. I was gonna say that I have to get some of them for smoked lobster is so far off the chain good. Then you have the real lamb and it's looking awesome to.


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## sprky

Nice new smoker ya got there. And your smoke


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## smokeamotive

Funny how us boys from KC think alike. I have the Horizon Ranger 16". Musta taken you and four friends to get it rolled into the back yard. It took three of us to get mine back in its home. A couple of questions though.

1. What part of KC do you come from? I grew up in SO. KC. and live in Lees Summit.

2. what is the dish in the last pic with the olive oil and olives?

BTW The lobsters and Lamb look slammin.


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## scarbelly

Congrats on the new smoker. I know the drive you are talking about intimately. BPS in Ontario is a evil drive back to San Diego even during the day but on Friday at 4 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. That is a great looking smoker and some great looking food.


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## smokinhusker

Congratulations on your new arrival! The lobsters and the lamb look absolutely mouthwatering. What is the olives/olive oil dish?


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## big twig

Wow, congrats on the new smoker and thanks for that delicious looking q-view!


Smokeamotive said:


> 2. what is the dish in the last pic with the olive oil and olives?
> 
> Looks like Hummus to me


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## sunman76

great looking smoker and fixns


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## kansascitybbq

Thanks for the well wishes and congrats...

Moikel, Horizon does made to order smokers. They are out of Oklahoma, and depending on the extra you order the price will vary. Mine ran about $2400 with everything. By the way, my Lebanese friend said that he has had over 100 spit cooked lamb and this was his favorite of all time - and he doesnt joke around about food;-)

Smokeamotive, I grew up in the Martin City area and went to Grandview High School. I can see we do think alike, nice smoker you got! The last photo was the best Hummus I have every had, people from Lebanon are great cooks.


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## frosty

RIP Brinkman, a well deserved rest is in store.  As for the new baby, WOW, what a wonderful first outing on the 20" Horizon!

Thanks for sharing the best days of your life!!!


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## africanmeat

Looks like a great day good friends good food that life i can see the lamb ,the hummus but i don't see the pita bread.


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## venture

I'm thinking hummus with olive oil there?

Good luck and good smoking.


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## smokey mo

A few questions...What was the temp you cooked the lamb at? and how did you prep that baby before stuffing it in the smoker?

Our local Costco just started carrying whole lamb for $3.15/#.  My head about exploded when I saw it.  I think Thanksgiving may be a whole Lamb kinda meal if I can get some info.

Also is the glaze a family secret or are you willing to PM me with that bad boy.

I haven't been this excited about a new smoke in quite a while.

Thanks for the help?


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## dirtsailor2003

Smokey Mo said:


> A few questions...What was the temp you cooked the lamb at? and how did you prep that baby before stuffing it in the smoker?
> 
> Our local Costco just started carrying whole lamb for $3.15/#.  My head about exploded when I saw it.  I think Thanksgiving may be a whole Lamb kinda meal if I can get some info.
> 
> Also is the glaze a family secret or are you willing to PM me with that bad boy.
> 
> I haven't been this excited about a new smoke in quite a while.
> 
> Thanks for the help?


Wait a minute, how does the Warrenton Costco rank so high to get whole lamb??? We only get parts and pieces here in the CO (no not Colorado, Central Oregon)!!

That lamb looks fantastic!!!

I


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## smokey mo

The meat manager is a friend and he is trying them to see if they sell. I am buying one for sure.

This is my happy dance...

:sausage:


----------



## moikel

I have spit roasted whole lamb & done them in my woodfired pizza oven.I dont know about that Lebanese style although there is a lot of Lebanese food here. I poke holes in the thick parts with a boning knife then put in slivers of garlic,rosemary,oregano.I then make a baste of EVO,white wine,lemon juice,garlic,cbp,salt. I then make up a baster out of a BIG bunch of parsley,maybe some cilantro like a witches broom dip it in baste & beat/rub lamb with it. Between beers.

Principle the same for other flavours but be careful with that pomegranate molasses it has some grunt! MICK


----------



## kansascitybbq

Well, this has to be the one of the best moments and one of the worst all at once… Actually, not sure where to start. 

12 years ago I purchased an offset Brinkman smoker, only because I didn’t like the taste of propane in my meat. Growing up in Kansas City, transporting to San Diego one can be desperate for REAL BBQ – Phils BBQ being nothing but a JOKE. Many, many, many sessions of burned, salty, rubbery, bbqs was in the Brinkman’s future;-)

Old friends and internet research, trial and error galore resulted in some BBQ that started to resemble some pretty good BBQ.  Pork Butts, Spare Ribs, Briskets all start to turn some heads. Finding my own resource for wood, cutting my own apple and oak trees in So Cal, huge!  Lets get to the point, after catering 100+ events, I was out growing the smoker (here comes the sad part) and she had to go.

What was next, the happy part – almost like a new father. The incoming Horizon 20” Ranger! Gods gift to us smokers, a welding delight. Ordering through Bass Pro was another painful experience, taking forever. 4 weeks turns into 6 and then 8…



















	

		
			
		

		
	
 With all options ordered, and calls every other day it finally arrives! Renting a trailer, I haul my butt up to the store making the commute back to San Diego in a 4pm So Cal traffic Jam. After what seemed to be the longest road trip ever, the stork has arrived and not a moment early.






	

		
			
		

		
	
No time to waste, I had planned a Lebanese style whole Lamb BBQ to break it in. With only 48 hours left before company arrives, the Ranger goes on a non-stop “bender” of seasoning smoke. But, before that was to go down - we just had to cook up some fresh caught lobster from a few days before ;-)

















With the seasoning gloss in place, I am ready to turn my attention back to the Lamb.

My dear Lebanese friend could not resist helping.







Trim, season, DRINK, laugh and drink some more. The Lebanese are so serious, the Irish not so much!













She goes on the next morning, butterflied and seasoned. 







All apple wood, LOW heat, and 6 hours later reaching the desired ham temp. Thrown on some pomegranate molasses glaze and we have some happy folks.







The cook and close friends needed some nibbles of the Ribs













No question, one of the best BBQs and 48 hours of my life!


----------



## moikel

Love it,lot of this style of stuff done down here but more in wood fired ovens or on spits.Spicing probabley stays the same.That pomegranate molasses is a good ingredient.Out of interest what does a store bought smoker like that cost?


----------



## chef jimmyj

That all looks totally awesome and congrats on the New Baby!...JJ


----------



## SmokinAl

Congrats on the new smoker!

The lamb looks delicious!


----------



## daveomak

That looks like so much fun and good eats.....  Congrats on the new smoker....  Many great Q's in its future....

Dave


----------



## mballi3011

Nice smoker and at first I thought that the lobsters were your Lebanese lamb. I was gonna say that I have to get some of them for smoked lobster is so far off the chain good. Then you have the real lamb and it's looking awesome to.


----------



## sprky

Nice new smoker ya got there. And your smoke


----------



## smokeamotive

Funny how us boys from KC think alike. I have the Horizon Ranger 16". Musta taken you and four friends to get it rolled into the back yard. It took three of us to get mine back in its home. A couple of questions though.

1. What part of KC do you come from? I grew up in SO. KC. and live in Lees Summit.

2. what is the dish in the last pic with the olive oil and olives?

BTW The lobsters and Lamb look slammin.


----------



## scarbelly

Congrats on the new smoker. I know the drive you are talking about intimately. BPS in Ontario is a evil drive back to San Diego even during the day but on Friday at 4 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





. That is a great looking smoker and some great looking food.


----------



## smokinhusker

Congratulations on your new arrival! The lobsters and the lamb look absolutely mouthwatering. What is the olives/olive oil dish?


----------



## big twig

Wow, congrats on the new smoker and thanks for that delicious looking q-view!


Smokeamotive said:


> 2. what is the dish in the last pic with the olive oil and olives?
> 
> Looks like Hummus to me


----------



## sunman76

great looking smoker and fixns


----------



## kansascitybbq

Thanks for the well wishes and congrats...

Moikel, Horizon does made to order smokers. They are out of Oklahoma, and depending on the extra you order the price will vary. Mine ran about $2400 with everything. By the way, my Lebanese friend said that he has had over 100 spit cooked lamb and this was his favorite of all time - and he doesnt joke around about food;-)

Smokeamotive, I grew up in the Martin City area and went to Grandview High School. I can see we do think alike, nice smoker you got! The last photo was the best Hummus I have every had, people from Lebanon are great cooks.


----------



## frosty

RIP Brinkman, a well deserved rest is in store.  As for the new baby, WOW, what a wonderful first outing on the 20" Horizon!

Thanks for sharing the best days of your life!!!


----------



## africanmeat

Looks like a great day good friends good food that life i can see the lamb ,the hummus but i don't see the pita bread.


----------



## venture

I'm thinking hummus with olive oil there?

Good luck and good smoking.


----------



## smokey mo

A few questions...What was the temp you cooked the lamb at? and how did you prep that baby before stuffing it in the smoker?

Our local Costco just started carrying whole lamb for $3.15/#.  My head about exploded when I saw it.  I think Thanksgiving may be a whole Lamb kinda meal if I can get some info.

Also is the glaze a family secret or are you willing to PM me with that bad boy.

I haven't been this excited about a new smoke in quite a while.

Thanks for the help?


----------



## dirtsailor2003

Smokey Mo said:


> A few questions...What was the temp you cooked the lamb at? and how did you prep that baby before stuffing it in the smoker?
> 
> Our local Costco just started carrying whole lamb for $3.15/#.  My head about exploded when I saw it.  I think Thanksgiving may be a whole Lamb kinda meal if I can get some info.
> 
> Also is the glaze a family secret or are you willing to PM me with that bad boy.
> 
> I haven't been this excited about a new smoke in quite a while.
> 
> Thanks for the help?


Wait a minute, how does the Warrenton Costco rank so high to get whole lamb??? We only get parts and pieces here in the CO (no not Colorado, Central Oregon)!!

That lamb looks fantastic!!!

I


----------



## smokey mo

The meat manager is a friend and he is trying them to see if they sell. I am buying one for sure.

This is my happy dance...

:sausage:


----------



## moikel

I have spit roasted whole lamb & done them in my woodfired pizza oven.I dont know about that Lebanese style although there is a lot of Lebanese food here. I poke holes in the thick parts with a boning knife then put in slivers of garlic,rosemary,oregano.I then make a baste of EVO,white wine,lemon juice,garlic,cbp,salt. I then make up a baster out of a BIG bunch of parsley,maybe some cilantro like a witches broom dip it in baste & beat/rub lamb with it. Between beers.

Principle the same for other flavours but be careful with that pomegranate molasses it has some grunt! MICK


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