Smoked Lamb Shanks, Anchovies & Polenta

big up your BBQ game with these smoked lamb shanks

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine BBQ

Keyword BBQ Lamb, lamb shanks, smoked lamb shanks, smoked lamb shoulder

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 20

Calories 4566kcal

Author AnotherFoodBlogger

Mix all the rub ingredients together
Rub the lamb in oil and apply the rub to the lamb
Smoke on indirect heat @ 120-130c for 4 hours (I used pecan wood but use whatever your preference is).
After one hour spritz the lamb with water *see tips*
Once the lamb has an internal temperature of about 75c (takes approx. 3 hours) wrap the shanks in tinfoil with a knob of butter and place back on the BBQ until the internal temperature is about 90c or you can place a probe through the meat like it’s butter *see tips*
Remove the meat from the BBQ , wrap in a towel and place in an esky/cooler bag for 30 minutes to rest *see tips*
Lamb should pull off the bone easily at this stage

Place the bread into a food processor and blitz until you have breadcrumbs – I like to leave some of the pieces a little larger for texture
Add all ingredients (except almonds) to a bowl, toss and combine
Bake @ 150c for approx. 10 minutes or until golden brown *see tip*
Add chopped almonds, allow to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 1 month

Place all ingredients (except oil) in a small food processor, gradually add oil and blend until a salsa consistency adding more oil if desired.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary *see tips*

Warm the milk with the bayleaf and garlic on a low heat until simmering
Remove the bayleaf and slowly add the polenta in – whisking all the time. Cook the polenta on a low heat for 4 minutes
Add the parmesan cheese, butter & mascarpone and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the polenta is a semi-firm consistency

I used a homemade rub for the lamb but you can use your favourite BBQ rub if you have one •
I spritz the lamb with water as the moisture helps the smoke to stick to the meat giving you the nice smoke ring/flavour
when cooking low n slow temperatures are given as a guideline – you will be able to touch and feel the meat to see if it’s soft, juicy and ready to be pulled. Sometimes you need to cook it for a further degree or 2
cooking times can vary when cooking low n slow but typically lamb shanks take around 4 hours to smoke – these shanks were all 500g
allow the meat to rest so all the juices redistribute. We wrap the meat in foil and a towel so it keeps its temperature. You can rest the meat for 1-2 hours if wrapped correctly and placed in a cooler
when making breadcrumbs keep an eye on them as the cooking time comes to an end as they can burn quickly
when making the anchovy dressing we don’t add salt in until the end (if at all) as anchovies and capers are naturally salty