The Brahestad Butt by Arctic BBQ

Image via ArcticBBQ.com

Perhaps "butt" is a funny word in Finland, but I don't get it.

Johannes at Arctic BBQ begins his post on pulled pork by stopping everyone's giggles. He explains that "butt" refers to barrel, as in the barrels used to transport pork shoulders and hams during the American revolutionary war.

I'd read that the term came from Old English, meaning "the widest part." My widest parts are my shoulders (for now) unless you count the distance between my self image and reality, which is spacious.

In classic Arctic BBQ style, Johannes takes a thoughtful, controlled approach to his 4.5 pound shoulder. He removed it from the fridge 2 hours ahead of time. He seasoned it with 7 tablespoons of rub composed of black pepper, paprika, onion, thyme, ginger, lemon and 23% smoked salt (he probably counted the grains).

He built a briquette snake and added some apple wood then monitored the whole affair with his iGrill2 iPad app.

His temp was 192ºF after 6 1/2 hours then he let it rest for an hour. That's faster than I do it. It's always enlightening to see another's take on a classic meal.

He used a couple of other tricks and techniques. What was he spraying it with in the picture above? Read his complete pulled pork study here and tease him about his non-Dragon Knuckle claws in the comments.

Image via ArcticBBQ.com

Fred and Kathe Frahm's Basque Leg of Lamb stuffed with Pork Loin

Submitted by Kathe Frahm. The woman famous for her “Seattle Seahawks and Old Women” posts from my Eighty Six the Poet blog.

“My late husband was quite the star with this recipe. Of course, I spent days getting it all ready for him. He did build our patio rotisserie barbecue and added a cooking counter and cutting board.”

Kathe was kind enough to flash back to some great times when her husband was alive and their kids were young. Their landscaped back yard was the talk of the neighborhood “including a large free form rose garden in the back yard with all the latest hybrid tea roses.”

It was never hard getting a bunch of friends over for food, drinks and laughs.

The Basque Leg of Lamb was always a hit:

• 3-4 lb boned leg of lamb with most of the fat removed
• 1-2 lb pork loin
• fresh lemon slices
• several fresh rosemary sprigs
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce

Image via Flickr by tedkerwin

Need to Learn how to Remove the Bone from a Leg of Lamb?

I asked her if she forgot to mention salt, pepper or other seasonings. She said no. The Worcestershire sauce added plenty of salt, spice and flavor. They never added anything else.

Now what? I'll let Kathe tell you:

“Gently flatten the lamb, lay a few lemon slices on it, as well as the sprigs of rosemary. Pour ½ the Worcestershire sauce over the lamb. Lay the loin on top in the center. Roll together tightly and use steel skewers to pin the roast together.”

She said you could tie the lamb closed instead of using skewers, “as long as it is tied tightly and sinks into the meat so it won't burn off.”

Put a thermometer into the center of the pork loin. They cooked theirs over the rotisserie, but use the method you have. In the oven, be sure to turn the meat halfway to ensure even cooking. 140 and still pink in the middle is the temperature Kathe suggests.

“Baste the roast with remaining Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. When desired temperature is reached, remove the meat from the grill and let sit for 10 or 20 minutes before pulling out the skewers or cutting twine. Put seam side down and slice to desired thickness. Garnish with rosemary.

“Fred would bristle if someone asked for mint jelly to go with the lamb. We grilled vegetables, crusty bread and (served large) quantities of Spanish red wine. We had our ice cream churner wired up and running for watermelon granita.”

Decades later, I can smell this recipe. I want to eat this now. Lamb is on my list of favorite things somehow I never cook.

I need to change that.

Thanks, Kathe. What a great recipe and great memories.

And this is a true Dragon Knuckle dish. How do you improve a leg of lamb? Stuff it with pork loin. Yeah.

Keep it roasting.