Smoked Leg of Lamb Pie.
Smoke a leg of lamb low-and-slow, then wrap the tender, spiced meat in a proper pot pie
Smoke a leg of lamb low-and-slow, then wrap the tender, spiced meat in a proper pot pie
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Salt (1/4 teaspoon per pound of lamb)
- 1000 grams Boneless Leg of Lamb
- FOR THE PIE:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 16 cloves garlic, diced
- 500 grams fingerling potatoes, chopped bite-sized
- 200 grams baby carrots
- 150 grams celery, diced
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 2 1.5 oz packages More Than Gourmet glace d'agneau gold roasted lamb stock
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 4 large sheets frozen ready-made puff pastry, partially thawed
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Method
-
01
Preheat smoker to 150°F
15 minYou're looking for that thin blue smoke starting to roll—stabilize your temperature with a water pan and adjust vents until the needle sits steady at 150°F.
-
02
Season lamb with salt and spice rub
3 minCoat the lamb evenly and let the salt work into the meat; you want a light crust forming, not clumpy piles of seasoning.
-
03
Smoke lamb for 2 hours at 150°F
120 minSmoke until the internal temperature hits 165°F and a fork slides through the meat with zero resistance—low heat means a pink, tender result, not gray and stringy.
-
04
Dice smoked lamb into bite-sized pieces
8 minWork while the meat is still warm and pull along the grain for clean bites; ragged shreds will turn to mush in the pie.
-
05
Brown lamb in two batches
12 min5 minutes per batch plus oil heating time.
-
06
Sauté garlic and onions for 3 minutes
3 minYou want the aromatics to turn translucent and smell sweet, not brown or char—that's your flavor base building.
-
07
Add vegetables and brown for 5 minutes
5 minChar the edges of the potatoes, carrots, and celery until they're golden and the kitchen smells rich; this caramelization is what makes the filling taste like something, not just heat.
-
08
Add tomato paste, stock, and broth
2 minStir the tomato paste into the hot vegetables so it toasts for 30 seconds before you add liquid—this kills that tinny canned taste.
-
09
Simmer filling covered for 2 hours
120 minStir every 30 minutes.
-
10
Thicken filling with cornstarch slurry
3 minWhisk your cornstarch into cold stock first, then pour it in while stirring constantly; you want a filling thick enough to coat a spoon, not gravy.
-
11
Cool lamb filling to room temperature
45 minCan be made ahead and refrigerated.
-
12
Preheat oven to 350°F
15 minLet the oven come all the way up or your crust will bake unevenly—place a rack in the center so hot air circulates around the whole pie.
-
13
Line pie pans with puff pastry
8 minKeep the pastry cold and work fast; warm dough shrinks and tears.
-
14
Blind bake crusts for 10 minutes
10 minThe crust should turn pale golden and just start to pull away from the edges—keep an eye on it so it doesn't brown before the filling sets.
-
15
Cool crusts and remove weights
10 minOnce they're cool enough to handle, lift the weights gently and look for a set, crisp shell that holds its shape.
-
16
Fill pies and top with pastry
10 minSeal edges, prick tops, brush with egg wash.
-
17
Bake pies for 25-30 minutes until golden
28 minRotate at 15 minutes.
-
18
Let pies rest for 10 minutes
10 minThis lets the filling set up so the first slice doesn't collapse, and the crust firms back up after coming out of the oven.
From Mike's Notebook
Brown the smoked lamb in two batches — cramming it into one pan steams instead of sears.
Tomato paste needs 30 seconds in hot oil before adding liquid, or it tastes thin and flat.
Cool the filling completely before filling the pies — hot filling will soften the blind-baked crust.