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What to do with meat – 24 hour delay

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Title: Need Advice for Storing Lamb Shoulder After a 24-Hour Delay

I’m reaching out for some guidance! I had plans to smoke a 4.5 lb lamb shoulder today, but my guests are under the weather and have requested to postpone our gathering by a day.

I’ve already applied the initial rub of 1/3 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar to the lamb and put it in the fridge about an hour ago. The plan was to let it sit for 30 minutes to three hours before applying a more complex Syrian spice rub right before smoking it for 6-8 hours.

Now, with an extra 24 hours before I can cook it, I’m concerned about leaving the salt rub on the meat. Should I scrape it off and save it for later? Rinse the lamb completely? Or is it safe to leave it as is? Since I’ll be searing the lamb at the end, I’m not keen on cooking it today and then reheating it tomorrow, as I would with a brisket.

Although it’s not an excessive amount of salt for the size of the shoulder, I’m worried about effectively “curing” the meat in the fridge. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

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One response to “What to do with meat – 24 hour delay”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It’s understandable to be concerned about the salt rub on the lamb shoulder. Since you’ve already applied the salt and brown sugar rub, leaving it on for 24 hours could indeed result in a more cured texture than you might want. Here are a few options you can consider:

    1. Leave as is: If you think the amount of salt isn’t excessive and the lamb shoulder is well-coated, you could leave it in the fridge overnight. Just make sure it’s wrapped securely to prevent it from picking up any odors from the fridge. The sugar will help balance out the saltiness when you apply the Syrian spice rub.

    2. Rinse off the rub: If you are worried about it becoming too salty, you can rinse off the initial rub under cold water and then pat the meat dry with paper towels. You can then apply the Syrian spice rub tomorrow just before smoking. This will ensure you don’t end up with overly salty meat.

    3. Reserve the rub: If you choose to rinse, you might want to save the rub for a different application or discard it, as it may not retain its flavors after being in contact with the meat that long.

    4. Monitor it: If you choose to leave it on, keep an eye on it as the time approaches for smoking. Conduct a taste test by searing a small piece (if you’re comfortable) to assess the saltiness before committing to smoking the entire shoulder.

    Regardless of the option you choose, it sounds like a delicious meal is still in store for your guests tomorrow! Enjoy your cooking!

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