This smoked lamb shoulder is rubbed with a delicious Turkish spice blend before it's smoked low and slow until fall apart tender and pulled for sandwiches, gyros, or any other accompaniment. Whether you are using a pellet grill like a Traeger, Camp Chef, or Pit Boss, an electric smoker like a Masterbuilt, or just a conventional propane grill like a Weber, we've got you covered.
Smoker -or- a Grill with a Smoker Box or Pellet Tube
Smoking Wood chips, chunks, or pellets
Boning Knife
Temperature Probe or Instant Read Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
15 lbBone-In Lamb Shoulder
2tablespoonPaprika
1tablespoonDried Mint
1tablespoonKosher Salt
½tablespoonCinnamon
½tablespoonDried Garlic Powder
½tablespoonCoarsely Ground Cumin Seed
½teaspoonGround Black Pepper
⅓teaspoonGround Clove
3tablespoonAvocado or Grapeseed oil
Instructions
Prepare the Rack of Lamb
Trim off any excess fat on the exterior of the lamb shoulder to about ⅛ " thickness using a good boning knife.
Score the remaining fat into 1 inch squares to allow the rub to better penetrate the meat and let the fat render easier during the cook.
Coat the lamb in the cooking oil.
Mix all the spice together in a bowl and rub generously around the entire exterior of the lamb.
Wrap in plastic wrap, place in an aluminum pan and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Set up the Grill or Smoker
Light the smoker or set up the grill for indirect cooking with a smoker box and preheat to 250° F.
Add wood chips to the smoker tray, smoker box, or add a chunks to the firebox/charcoal.
Once the smoker/grill is up to temperature and smoke is being produced, place the lamb on the smoker.
Insert a temperature probe into the thickest part to monitor the internal temperature. Make sure the thermometer is not touching bone.
Wrap the Lamb
After about 3-4 hours, once the lamb has reached an internal temperature of about 150-160°F, remove the lamb from the smoker and wrap tightly in 3 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.
Insert the temperature probe back into the lamb, piercing the aluminum foil, and place it back on the grill or smoker.
Once the internal temperature of the lamb has reached 197-203°F, remove it from the smoker.
Resting, Pulling, and Serving
Place the wrapped lamb in a large aluminum pan and then unwrap the lamb from the foil, letting the juices inside the wrap to spill into the pan.
Let the lamb shoulder rest fully intact for 30 minutes.
Pull the lamb apart using bear claws or two forks, removing the bone and any excessively fatty pieces as you pull.
Mix to incorporate the juices from the wrap and check for saltiness before serving, adding more kosher salt as necessary.
Serve warm on buns, pita bread, or just by itself!