Corned Lamb

After searching for months for a reasonably priced piece of lamb to corn, I gave up and bought a boneless leg of lamb at $9/lb.  Stew meat was $3 more.  The only cheaper cuts were lamb shanks and neck slices, and I wanted to use something boneless because I'm not sure if it's safe to corn with the bone in.  I cut the leg in half and froze the rest for another time.

For those asking themselves "corned lamb?" yes, you can corn any mammal.  I've heard of corned venison, goat, bison, and bear.  (I have interesting internet friends.)  You can probably corn poultry too, but I haven't researched that.  I wouldn't call brining the Thanksgiving turkey "corning", but it's close.

Unlike the corned pork, corned lamb has a distinct taste.  You can taste the lamb-ness through the corning spices and salt.  I still had it with kohlrabi relish and some of my super-hot mustard, like I would with corned beef.  The pickley motif is there.

The unfortunately long list of herbs and spices is back.  The brine just has a lot of flavors in it.  Fortunately, measuring them into the pot is as hard as this recipe gets.  Still takes 7-10 days to brine the meat, but it's all passive time except for turning the bag over daily.

1 quart water
1/2 C kosher salt
1/4 C brown sugar
*1/2 tsp Prague Powder #1
*1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
*4 whole cloves
*4 whole allspice
*6 Juniper berries
*1 bay leaf, crumbled
*1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 lb ice
2 lbs boneless lamb cut of choice

1.  Add all ingredients through the ginger to a large saucepan.  Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally.  Allow to boil about 5 minutes, until all granulated elements are dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about half an hour.

2.  Add ice to brine and stir to bring down the temperature below 45º.  Meanwhile, prepare your meat.  In my case, that involved guessing what two pounds off of a 4.5 lb leg of lamb looked like.  I was pretty close, just 3 ounces short.  It was a beautiful, fresh piece from New Zealand.  I hated wrapping up the rest for freezing, which is why it took me three months to break down and buy one.  Try to make your piece a uniform thickness.  I had to butterfly a section that had been cut thicker, which was just a half-inch slice in two areas.  Place your lamb in a gallon plastic bag and put the bag in a container large enough to hold half a gallon of liquid if it leaks.

3.  Fill the bag with the entire brine and its seasonings.  Press out as much air as you can and seal.  Place the whole pan in the fridge.  Once a day, massage the bag gently to kick up the brine, and turn the meat over.  If possible, the meat should be fully submerged at all times.

4.  After a minimum of seven days, and preferably 10, remove lamb from the bag and rinse.  If you prefer your meat less salty, put it in a pot with water to cover and put it back in the fridge for 3 hours.  Empty that water, and you're good to cook.

5.  Place meat in a large pot with water to cover by one inch.  Add desired aromatics like onion, carrot, celery, or any other "stock" veggie you like to use.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and keep at a low simmer for 2-3 hours, depending on the cut of meat.

6.  While the roast is still warm, slice thinly against the grain.  Serve either hot or cold.  Leftovers should be eaten within a few days, but they can be frozen once cooled.

Serves 6-8

Difficulty rating  π