BBQ Leg of Ram
Here is another annual favorite. I try to pack out one quarter of my sheep whole so my Dad can cook it up like this. Works best with a hind quarter as it is more compact but did it one year with a front.
Clean up a whole sheep quarter. Slide small slits all over the meat and insert whole cloves of garlic and cloves( spice).
Lightly rub down with olive oil and apply your favourite spices in a dry rub.
Wrap in plastic and let marinate overnight
Spear the entire quarter with a rotisserie and place on BBQ on low heat.
Dear ol' dad displays his classic dish (he is not interested in hunting them but sure can cook them!)
With lid covered monitor the leg and check with meat thermometer until rare-medium rare.
Carve up and serve with mint sauce.
I try to do this end of August or sometime in September so we usually have a decent supply of fresh veggies from the garden.
We fed 21 people from a single leg one night. Pretty cool as most had never eaten wild sheep and what a great way to celebrate the best time of year.
One final idea here is a good way to cook up a trout or smaller fish in the field without having to pack in a frying pan or tinfoil. A interesting fellow I know said he learned this from the Aboriginals back in the day.
It works great on trout but likely would work with lots of different species. I sometimes bring in a small rod when I am backpacking but rarely tinfoil or a frying pan.
I pack in a small plastic jar of olive oil and a mix of my favorite spices. ( can use this on fresh meat ke-babs as well)
Take your fresh fish and do a butterfly filet. Start on the back and filet down from the spine and over the rib cage. You will have to cut behind the gills and again at the tail but your two sides should remain connected with the belly meat. You will be left with a symmetrical filet with the two sides connected by the belly meat. (take a look at the pic to get a better idea)
Keep the skin on and rub this down both sides with a bit of oil and apply your spices to your liking.
Find a good forked willow and spread open your fish so that as much surface area is opened up. Eyeball and cut a few slits in the skin so you can affix your fish to the willow and you literally have a fish-stick. If you do this right you should be able to roast both sides over the fire. Takes a few times to get it right but once you get the hang of it it does a nice job as it crisps up all the meat nicely but still stays juicy.
When it is ready it is easily flaked off the skin and I typically eat it right off the stick. This would likely just work best with smaller fish as I am sure there is a point where the meat would be to think too effectively cook through on a camp fire.
I have termed it a Yukon Fish Stick
Keep the great recipies and ideas coming!
