Lamb Bacon

Lamb breast is terribly fatty, so much so that it used to be considered a “throw-away cut” in the butcher's parlance. I don't recommend using lamb breast for much, but there is one way that you can take this cut and make it brilliant, by curing and smoking it into bacon. By doing so, the problem of fat becomes a perfect solution, and the end result is delicious, like regular bacon but with a compelling tang. It's also a great way to make bacon legit for Jews, Muslims, Rasta etc who won't eat pork.My Rasta friend Zac adores lamb bacon. A tip of the hat if you're reading this, Zac!

If you prefer the savory, you could also try your hand at lamb pancetta by eliminating the honey and allspice and curing the lamb breast with garlic, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary. If you do the pancetta thing, don't smoke it. Roll it, tie it and hang it to dry and concentrate flavors for a few days. To cure- 1 large lamb's breast ¼ cup of Morton's sugar cure ¼ cup honey 1 tbs ground black pepper 2 tbs powdered red chilis 1 tbs powdered allspice To finish- Some hickory chunks or other good smoking wood Carefully bone the lamb breast. If you are careful, you can do this with virtually zero flesh remaining on the bone. Save the bones for making lentil soup, as is done in the Middle East. You won't regret it. Put the breast in a freezer bag with the remaining ingredients, and let it hang out in the fridge for at least a week. Turn it over every day to distribute the cure. At first, the cure will draw out liquids from the meat, then the meat will reabsorb most of the liquid and the cure. At the end of a week, rinse, and smoke for a couple of hours using a nut or fruitwood like oak, hickory, or apple. Refrigerate.