Mother’s Day BBQ Recipe

It is said that a man on his barbeque is the conductor of his own symphony. His clanking tongs are his baton, moving his pieces at just the right moment, working on his masterpiece – the family meal! Men, let’s not be a one-hit-wonder, like some of the boy bands from the ’90s. Sausages and chops are all well and good, but this Mother’s Day, let’s fire up the grill and really impress Mum with a barbecue roast!

Greek spice rubbed lamb shoulder

Spice rubs are a great way to put a heap of flavour into the dishes and foods you are cooking and perfect to keep in your camper pantry. This recipe for Greek spices will not only work well with lamb, but also seafood and chicken. Make a batch for the lamb, keep the rest for the pantry for later.

Ingredients:
• 2 tsp Fine salt
• 2 tsp Ground fennel seeds
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 2 tsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Cornflour
• 1 tsp Ground white pepper
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Dried parsley
• 1 tsp Dried rosemary
• 1 tsp Dried thyme

Method

1.) Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

Cornflour? Correct. Although the cornflour has zero flavouring or seasoning it is added as an anti-caking agent to prevent the spice mix clagging and clumping together.

1. Leave the skins on or off is up to you? Cut them all around the same size so they all cook evenly.
2. Give them a light drizzle of olive oil and a few good punches of salt and pepper.
3. At around the T – minus 60 mins mark is when you want to get your veggies on the roasting rack. Pack and stack them all around the lamb shoulder and close the lid again. You may wish to turn them once after 30 mins but this is not necessary.

Preparing your lamb shoulder

Lamb shoulder is a perfect cut of meat for roasting on a barbecue. The shoulder is made up of groups of smaller muscles that are held together by both elastin and collagen. When collagen is cooked slowly it breaks down and becomes very soft and juicy, this helps keep your meat moist when cooking over a long period of time.

After you have selected your lamb shoulder, it is time to prepare your cut of meat. Ingredients – 3 Cloves of garlic – 2 Sprigs of rosemary – ½ Lemon – Greek spice rub

1. Trim off any excessive fat from the outside of the shoulder. You want to leave some on around ½ a cm will be enough. Make some small incisions into the surface of your meat.
2. Cut the garlic into thin strips and cut the rosemary into small sprigs. Stud the lamb shoulder with the garlic and rosemary into the incisions.
3. Squeeze the half lemon all over the lamb shoulder. Very liberally coat your lamb shoulder with the Greek spice, enough to coat it all over and set aside.

Roasting

1. Take a strip of aluminum foil and double it over to make it twice as thick. Cover your grill bars with the foil and poke some holes through to allow the roasting fats and juices to drip away. Place your roasting rack on top of the foil. Set the grill to high for 10 minutes to preheat.’
2. Place the lamb shoulder on to the roasting rack, close the lid, and drop the temperature to the roast setting or around 180oc at ¾ dial. Cook for the required amount of time.
3. When the timer goes off, remove the lamb from the grill, wrap it in aluminum foil and allow it to rest. Anywhere from ⅕ to a ¼ of the cooking time will be enough. Trust me, do not skip this step.
   Resist the temptation to keep opening the lid to check on your roast. It is going to smell delicious. It is going to have the neighbors peeking over to witness your masterpiece. You need to keep the heat in, so unless it is billowing smoke, the lid must stay closed!

Don’t forget the roast veggies

Here is your one, possibly two exceptions to take a peek at that beautiful roast you have. Getting your veggies into roast alongside the lamb shoulder.

Preparing your veggies.

1. Select the vegetables of your choice. Potatoes, carrots, pumpkin and parsnip make a great quartet for your roast symphony! Give them a good wash.
2. Leave the skins on or off is up to you? Cut them all around the same size so they all cook evenly.
3. Give them a light drizzle of olive oil and a few good punches of salt and pepper.
4. At around the T – minus 60 mins mark is when you want to get your veggies on the roasting rack. Pack and stack them all around the lamb shoulder and close the lid again. You may wish to turn them once after 30 mins but this is not necessary.

Bring it all together

The lamb is rested and carved, the veggies are cooked, the table is set, your Mother’s Day family meal is served. The critics are stunned, the curtain falls, and you have once again proved you are the master of your domain – King of the hill – Top of the heap – Frank Sinatra eat your heart out!