Dry Brine Lamb Roast???

[HumbleHomeCook]

I love dry brining with salt and brown sugar. Anyone ever try a 24hr or so dry brine with lamb?

Bad idea? Good idea?

I'm a HUGE lamb novice but seems like it should be okay...

 

[Michi]

Don't see why that wouldn't work. It works for beef, so it's going to work for lamb, too.

 

[Rainman890]

I've done it, it works great. I'd throw some herbs in there as well, lamb is a great match to dried green stuff.

 

[deltaplex]

I love dry brining with salt and brown sugar. Anyone ever try a 24hr or so dry brine with lamb?

Bad idea? Good idea?

I'm a HUGE lamb novice but seems like it should be okay...

Right, what @Michi said, it's a technique that works for pretty much every protein, so it'll work great with lamb as well.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

I would probably skip the brown sugar. add that later? won't it burn? salt and herbs. more salt than you think..in my experience. then a couple days rest in the fridge.

and a wet brine just seems like a bad idea anyways

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Don't see why that wouldn't work. It works for beef, so it's going to work for lamb, too.

Yep, that was my thought too. Gonna get it prep'd later today.

Thanks all.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I would probably skip the brown sugar. add that later? won't it burn? salt and herbs. more salt than you think..in my experience. then a couple days rest in the fridge.

and a wet brine just seems like a bad idea anyways

I have a jug of "dry brine" always ready on the shelf. About 2:1 salt to sugar, maybe 3:1, I eyeball it. Works great. You don't notice the sugar. It doesn't burn because it gets absorbed into the meat.

I've used herbs with mixed results. I'm not always sure the herb flavor actually transfers.

 

[coxhaus]

As long as you use a reasonable temperature you will be fine. I am careful with sugar as I can burn it on the BBQ.

I don't cook a lot of lamb but I kind of like mine burnt on the outside and rare in the middle, so I use high temps for cooking. If I cook it slow I tend to dry it out and it seems tough to me. I don't cook it in the oven either.

Let me know how it turns out.

 

[Rainman890]

I would probably skip the brown sugar. add that later? won't it burn? salt and herbs. more salt than you think..in my experience. then a couple days rest in the fridge.

and a wet brine just seems like a bad idea anyways

If you cook it low and slow, you won't have an issue with burning. For the final high heat cook, just watch it so it doesn't burn.

And even if they don't absorb into the meat, the herbs make a nice crust on the outside of the meat, so I wouldn't skip them.

 

[boomchakabowwow]

I think Lamb and Rosemary play so well together.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I think Lamb and Rosemary play so well together.

Oh there will be rosemary!

 

[coxhaus]

Oh there will be rosemary!

Olive oil and rosemary.

 

[zizirex]

cumin also works really good here

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Each garlic clove also has a rosemary leaf stuffed under it. Will be hitting the oven in a half hour or so.

Wish me luck!

 

[Jovidah]

Dry brining has become my go-to method for meat over the years. It just makes every meat better with 0 effort. The one caveat I'd like to add is you have to watch your fridge temperature. If it's too hot stuff can actually turn grey overnight.
Never considered adding sugar though... why the sugar?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Dry brining has become my go-to method for meat over the years. It just makes every meat better with 0 effort. The one caveat I'd like to add is you have to watch your fridge temperature. If it's too hot stuff can actually turn grey overnight.
Never considered adding sugar though... why the sugar?

I saw the mixture once on a video for prepping turkey. I seem to recall the idea was the small amount of sugar just helps retain moisture throughout the meat. If you keep the ratios right, you don't notice any sweetness at all and I've just always stuck with it.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I think the sugar will just sit on the surface of the meat, unlike salt which actually penetrates. I've transitioned to just dry-brining with salt and adding rubs, etc., before cooking and I notice no difference in flavor of the finished product.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I think the sugar will just sit on the surface of the meat, unlike salt which actually penetrates. I've transitioned to just dry-brining with salt and adding rubs, etc., before cooking and I notice no difference in flavor of the finished product.

It absorbs. I've been using this method for a few years on all sorts of meats.