Dry-Rubbed, Slow Roasted Lamb Breast or Brisket

A lamb or goat breast is the same as the brisket on a cow, or pig brisket, just smaller. Just like other briskets lamb brisket needs low and slow cooking to be tender, but they’ll cook in a fraction of the time as other briskets and will only take a few hours to make.

How to Make Slow Roasted Lamb Brisket

Breast is just the name applied to the cut, but, just like brisket, it will benefit from all your favorite barbecue and smoking techniques if you’re familiar with cooking other meats like that, although it will cook much quicker than a beef brisket as it’s thinner and smaller. A nice lamb rub and a slow roast in the oven (or in a smoker) is a fantastic way to cook this cut, and I can pretty much guarantee that people will be fighting over the leftovers. I worked on a simple dry-rub inspired by my favorite blackening seasoning here, but feel free to use any rub you like. I like my dry rub a little spicy.

To make it, first you season the brisket with salt, then apply a dry-rub seasoning and allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next day you roast the brisket slowly in the oven until very tender.

It’s easy to make: just season the meat all over with salt, apply the rub, let it sit overnight for the flavors to develop, then cook it in the oven or in a smoker until the meat is tender and can be shredded with a fork. For the best texture and flavor, I let the breast rest and chill overnight or for at least a few hours before cutting into it, which will help it firm up and make it easier to cut into bite-sized pieces. If you cut into the meat while it’s warm, fresh out of the oven, it will still taste good, but it may fall apart. It takes a little time, but I think you’ll agree it’s well worth the small amount of effort it takes to prepare.

Chef’s Tip: Chill the Brisket Overnight for the Best Texture

As for cooking the finished breast, this isn’t something that I generally serve in large pieces, although making it into a roulade as I did in another recipe here works well. I prefer to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and toss it into mixes of vegetables, pasta, or other preparations where I might have different pieces of bite-sized ingredients in a dish, like a seasonal vegetable hash.

This recipe is by James Beard Award-winning Chef Alan Bergo, the Forager Chef. A chef from Minnesota, Alan is a culinary industry veteran, former executive chef of acclaimed Lucia’s Restaurant, and the Salt Cellar. Author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora, he’s one of the most respected voices in the world of foraging and wild food. He’s best known as the founder of Forager Chef, his website focused on wild ingredients that reaches millions of readers each year. Learn more about Chef Alan and his hunt for mushrooms, wild and obscure foods at foragerchef.com. 

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More Lamb Brisket Recipes

Smoked Lamb Breast

Stuffed Lamb Breast

How to Cook Lamb Breast / Brisket + Recipes