Peking glazed lamb recipe

Perk up lamb this summer with a gorgeous Peking glaze

Ingredients

Large joint of lamb (approx 1kg)

For the rub - Makes about 1 cup

¼ cup sea salt flake
¼ cup (packed) light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp coarse black pepper (more or less to taste)
2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns
1 star anise
1 tsp onion granules
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp celery salt
½ tsp chilli powder (1 tsp for hotter rub)
1 ½tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tbsp sesame seeds

For the glazing sauce - Makes about 1 ½ cups, enough for a small jar

½cup hoisin sauce
1 cup fresh chicken stock
3 tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp butter
1 star anise
½ fresh red chilli pepper (deseeded)
1 clove of garlic
2 spring onions
1-3 tsp brown sugar
1-2 tsp Chinese 5 spice

METHOD

How to make Peking glazed BBQ lamb

1. To make the rub: Use a pestle and mortar to break up the star anise, part way through add the Szechuan peppercorns and break it all down to the consistency of coarse black pepper. Place mixture in a large mixing bowl and set to one side.

2. Use the pestle and mortar to crack the sesame seeds then add the salt and grind down to a semi-coarse consistency. Add this to your mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and mix well, until everything is thoroughly combined. Alternatively you can whack all the ingredients in a food processor and grind to a fine powder. It's a quick and easy method but you don't get the control over the texture. I like to leave the peppercorns, sesame seeds and salt a little coarse with this one.

3. Rub your leg of lamb with between 1/2 and 1 cup of rub depending on the size of your joint. Place any remaining rub in an airtight container and it should keep for months as long is it's kept cool and away from sunlight.

4. To make the sauce: Finely chop the chilli and spring onion. Sautee the spring onion and chilli in the butter over a moderate heat until they soften and the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat up to high and add the sherry. Cook off the alcohol in the sherry.

5. Add the chicken stock, peanut butter, star anise, hoisin, 1 tsp 5-spice and ½ tsp sugar. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

6. Remove the star anise and transfer the mixture to a food processor. Blend it until smooth then return to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. At this point taste it. You might want to add more sugar or 5-spice but it will depend on the hoisin you've used. Let your taste buds judge it. Transfer the sauce to your storage container, let it cool and store in the fridge for up to a month.

7. To cook the lamb: this joint is cooked long and slow, your barbecue needs to be at about 110ºC. Place the joint on the rack and cover, cook for 2 to 2 ½ hours depending on how rare you like it. You're looking for an internal temperature of 65 - 70ºC.

8. Just before the meat is done, glaze with the sauce and stoke the fire to raise the temperature. This will caramelise the glaze. Serve thinly sliced with a spicy rice noodle salad and some of the sauce served warm.