Tennessee Lamb Loin With Whiskey, Brown Sugar, And Mustard

Total Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/2 cup coarse salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup sweet paprika
• 1 (2 1/2-3 lb) center-cut lamb loin
• 3 tablespoons tennessee whiskey
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 4 slices bacon
• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons tennessee whiskey
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 6 -8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cups wood chips, soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained

Recipe

• 1 make nashville sweet: combine all the ingredients in a saucepan; whisk to mix.
• 2 let the sauce gradually come to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until thick and flavorful, 8-10 minutes; if not serving sauce immediately, let cool to room temperature; transfer to clean glass jars and refrigerate until ready to serve; bring to room temperature before using.
• 3 make the rub: add rub ingredients to a bowl; stir to mix (or use your fingers); stor rub in an airtight jar away from heat or light (keeps for 6 months); makes 2 cups; total amount used in this recipe is 2 tablespoons.
• 4 make the lamb: butterfly the lamb loin—using a very sharp knife, cut the roast almost in half lengthwise through one side (stop about 1-inch from the opposite side).
• 5 open the roast up as you would a book.
• 6 sprinkle the inside of the roast with 1 tablespoon of the whiskey; let is marinate for 5 minutes.
• 7 sprinkle a third of the rub (remember total amount of rub used it 2 tablespoons, so 1/3 of that amount) over the inside of the roast.
• 8 spread the mustard on top with a spatula; sprinkle the brown sugar on top of mustard.
• 9 sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons whiskey on top of the brown sugar.
• 10 fold the roast back together (like closing a book); sprinkle the remaining rub over the outside.
• 11 cut four 12-inch pieces of butcher’s string; position the pieces of string on your work surface so they are parallel and about 2 inches apart.
• 12 place a slice of bacon across the strings so that it is perpendicular to and in the center of them.
• 13 set the roast on top of the bacon, positioning its long side parallel to the bacon.
• 14 place a slice of bacon on top of the roast; press the remaining 2 slices against the long sides of the roast.
• 15 tie each piece of string together around the roast so that they hold the slices of bacon against it; set roast aside.
• 16 to make the glaze: combine the glaze ingredients together in a saucepan; boil until syrupy, 4-6 minutes; set the glaze aside.
• 17 set up grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium (if using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then decrease the heat to medium; if using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center, preheat the grill to medium, then toss all of the wood chips on the coals).
• 18 when ready to cook, place the lamb roast on the grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat; cover the grill.
• 19 cook roast until cooked through, 1 to 1 ½ hours; test for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer into the side of the roast; internal temperature should be about 160°.
• 20 start basting the roast with some of the glaze after 30 minutes and continue basting every 15 minutes.
• 21 transfer cooked roast to a cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes; remove and discard strings; slice roast crosswise and drizzle any remaining glaze over it.
• 22 serve with nashville sweet.