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What to do with meat – 24 hour delay

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Advice Needed for Lamb Shoulder – 24-Hour Delay

I appreciate any help you can provide. I had planned to smoke a lamb shoulder today on the grill, but my guests aren’t feeling well and have requested to postpone by a day.

I have a 4.5 lb lamb shoulder that was supposed to get two rubs: first, a mixture of 1/3 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar, which I applied about an hour ago. It should sit in the fridge for “30 minutes to three hours.” Just before smoking, I would then apply a more complex Syrian spice rub before a 6-8 hour smoke session.

Now that cooking is pushed to tomorrow, I’m concerned about leaving the salt and sugar rub on the meat for an entire 24 hours. Should I scrape off the rub and save it? Rinse the meat entirely? Or is it okay to just leave it as is? Since I plan to sear the lamb afterward, I prefer not to cook it and then reheat it like I would with a brisket. While the amount of salt isn’t excessive for the lamb’s size, I’m worried about inadvertently “curing” it by letting it sit untouched in the fridge for a day. Any thoughts?

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

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It’s great that you’re being cautious about the lamb shoulder! Here are a few options to consider for your situation:

    1. Leave the Rub On: Since you’ve only had the rub on for an hour, it’s likely not enough time to start curing the meat. Many people dry brine meat before cooking it for 24 hours or more, so the salt will actually help enhance the flavor and tenderness. Just make sure to keep it well-covered in the fridge.

    2. Rinse and Dry: If you’re really uncomfortable with leaving the rub on for that long, you could gently rinse the rub off the lamb shoulder with cold water, then pat it dry with paper towels. You can reapply a light amount of salt and sugar just before cooking tomorrow, which will still give you some of the intended flavor without the concern of over-salting.

    3. Adjust Cooking Time: If you do decide to leave the rub on, just be mindful that when you cook it tomorrow, you might want to adjust the cooking time slightly based on how the meat looks and tastes. You may need to reduce the amount of additional salt in the spice rub you plan to use.

    4. Plan to Monitor: Regardless of your choice, keep an eye on the lamb as it cooks to ensure it doesn’t become too salty or dry. If you’re worried about it, you can always baste it or wrap it in foil partway through to help retain moisture.

    Ultimately, leaving it in the fridge with the rub should be fine, but it’s up to your comfort level. Enjoy your cooking!

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