SmokeBarbecue
Smoked lamb riblets
Breast ribs, a modest rub, fruitwood. Smaller than pork spares, richer, done before the afternoon is.
Made it?
3 hr 30 min · 25 min hands-on · pull 195°F · rest 10 min
Ingredients
3.5 lb on the fire · ~1.9 lb to the table · 4 plates at 8 oz
- lamb riblets or breast2 racks (3 1/2 lb)
- kosher salt2 tsp
- cumin2 tsp
- paprika1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- olive oil1 tbsp
Method
- 1
Trim the thickest surface fat but leave a cap. Oil and rub.
- 2
Smoke at 275°F until the meat pulls from the bone and a probe slides, 3–3½ hours. Wrap at 2 hours if they look dry.
- 3
Rest 10. A squeeze of lemon beats a sweet sauce on lamb.
If you don’t have it
- Lamb riblets → A lamb breast plate. Same cook, a little more fat to render.
- Apple → Cherry or pecan. Skip straight hickory. It turns muttony on lamb.
Same cook, different day
Cumin-chili
Tacos. Same smoke, then a squeeze of lime and onion.
Glazed
You want sticky. A thin pomegranate or vinegar glaze in the last 15 minutes.
Oven
No smoker. 300°F on a rack 2½ hours, then a 5-minute broil.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making watermelon-feta salad.
Ribs, chicken, lamb, a hot afternoon. Chunks, not balls. Salt the melon. Feta last.
10 min
- With this dish, try making pinto beans.
Start when a packer wraps, or at the beginning of a shoulder. Soaked beans, smoked hock, onion, chili. Simmer until creamy. Salt late.
2 hr 30 min
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min