# Smoked Leg of Hogget



## twinfallsid (Mar 30, 2013)

A few months ago I put an ad up on the local craigslist, looking to buy an older lamb for butcher.  I was tired of buying scrawny little lambs.  I ended up getting one about 15 months old. 

Here is a pic of the little darling, before his visit to the abattoir and the freezer.













Hogget.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 30, 2013






Anyway our cousins in England, Australia, and New Zealand call an older lamb hogget.  Hogget is a live domestic sheep between one and two years of age, or the meat from such an animal. Hogget meat tends to be of a darker red color than meat from a younger lamb and to have a slightly richer flavor.

I've been eating the chops and roasts out of the freezer, and its really good.  So for Easter Sunday I decided to smoke a bone-in leg. 

The leg weighs 10 pounds.













lamb01.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 30, 2013






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lamb02.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 30, 2013






I made a rub of Cavender's Greek Seasoning, garlic, sea salt, and olive oil.

I smeared the rub all over the meat, wrapped it in foil and put it in the refrigerator to marinade all night.













lamb04.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 30, 2013






In the morning at zero-dark-thirty I'll fire up the ol' Apex Apparatus Mark 1 Smoker and hang the leg in there, in a ham stocking.

More pics and details tomorrow.


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## pineywoods (Mar 30, 2013)

Good looking animal and sounds like a good plan can't wait to see the results. Have a great smoke


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## moikel (Mar 31, 2013)

Yes it is hog get  to us way down here. still popular in country areas but city folk want dainty little lamb. Yours on the hoof has a very English look,Suffolk or similar. There is a move here to bigger meatier breeds ,Dorpers the latest,mix of Dorset & Persian? breed came here via South Africa . Very broad  across the back & heavy set. Tasty too.


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## boykjo (Mar 31, 2013)

Look at the legs on that....WOW...hubba hubba


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## twinfallsid (Mar 31, 2013)

The leg is stuffed into a ham stocking and is now hanging in the smoker.













IMG_20130331_073513.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 31, 2013






Its set at 210F with cherry wood chips in the smoke box.

I inserted the probe thermometer, it reads 34F, so at least the meat thawed out and is ready to be smoked.


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## twinfallsid (Mar 31, 2013)

After a bit more than 4 hours, the probe shows 125F.  It should be up to 140F in another hour or two.













4hrs.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 31, 2013






The color is looking good after four smokes of cherry chips.


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## twinfallsid (Mar 31, 2013)

I pulled it out when it reached 137F, wrapped it in foil and put it in a styrofoam cooler. 













01resting.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 31, 2013






I'll let it rest for about 45 minutes or so before carving.


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## twinfallsid (Mar 31, 2013)

The leg of hogget coasted up to 141F. 

Sliced at the shank end, it shows rare/med.rare meat:













1cut.jpg



__ twinfallsid
__ Mar 31, 2013






It is very juicy, tasty and tender. 

The cherry woodsmoke is a good complement to the lamb flavor.

This was a good success!


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## disturbed1 (Mar 31, 2013)

looks great


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## sound1 (Mar 31, 2013)

Looks awesome. Buying meat on the hoof always seems to taste better.


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## twinfallsid (Mar 31, 2013)

I agree with that.  When I moved to Idaho I started buying animals instead of packaged meat.  Since I'm in an agricultural area, its easy to find a deal.  So far over the years, 1/2 elk (farm raised), 1/2 pig, 1/2 cow, 2 lambs and this hogget.  When there's room again in the freezer it will be time for another 1/2 pig or maybe a llama.


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## teebob2000 (Mar 31, 2013)

WOW, bee-EWE-tiful!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   Looks AMAZING!!!


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## woodcutter (Mar 31, 2013)

Very very nice!


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## smokem all (Sep 11, 2016)

How did this turn out?


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