Pacific Rim Smoked Lamb Shanks

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 tablespoons asian dark sesame oil
• 4 (12 -14 ounce) lamb shanks
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups tomato base barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine
• 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
• 1 1/2 cups wood chips, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained (oak is preferred)

Recipe

• 1 drizzle oil over the lamb shanks; rubbing it into the meat with your fingertips.
• 2 add salt, sugar, five-spice powder, and pepper to a small bowl; stir to mix or use your fingers to mix.
• 3 sprinkle the rub all over the lamb, patting it onto the meat with your fingers.
• 4 to make the barbecue sauce: add bbq sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine, and sriracha in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer; let simmer 10-15 minutes, until thick and richly flavored; set aside.
• 5 set up grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-low; **for gas grill, place the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then decrease heat to medium-low.
• 6 when ready to cook, place the lamb shanks, on their side, in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat; cover the grill.
• 7 smoke roast the lamb shanks for 1 hour.
• 8 wrap each shank in foil and continue cooking until very tender, 45 minutes to 1 ¼ hours more.
• 9 when the shanks are fully cooked, the meat will have pulled back from the shank bone and will be tender enough to pull apart with your fingers; internal temperature should be about 180°.
• 10 during the last 15 minutes or so, unwrap the shanks and brush them with some of the sauce.
• 11 transfer the grilled lamb shanks to a platter and serve with the remaining barbecue sauce.