Guinness, the Irish stout, gives the brine for these simple barbecued lamb steaks much of its punch. Like most dark beers, Guinness has a bittersweet molasses flavor, which is great with lamb. But the hidden power of a Guinness brine is its alcohol content (about 4 percent). Alcohol accelerates the absorption of flavorful components directly into the protein structure of meat, yielding a steak that not only retains about 10 percent more moisture, but also is able to deliver a hit of seasoning with every bite. The flavors of chipotle chiles and cumin in the brine are reinforced with a smoky rub and a dark, pungent Guinness BBQ sauce. A word of warning: the sauce burns easily, so only brush it on the meat at the very end of grilling. In fact it is more flavorful served as a table sauce, although the steaks do look nice varnished with glaze.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　2 cups Guinness ale

　　1 tablespoon coarse salt

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1 cup water

　　3 tablespoons Smokin' Rub

　　3 pounds bone-in lamb leg steaks (see Know-How)

　　1 tablespoon canola oil

　　1 1/2 cups Guinness BBQ Sauce

　　

Step 1

Combine the Guinness, salt, sugar, water and 2 tablespoons spice rub in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Drop in the lamb steaks, press out the air, and seal. Refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.

　　

Step 2

Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F.

　　

Step 3

Remove the lamb from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine. Coat the lamb with the oil and season with the rub. Set aside for 10 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Brush the grill grate and rub with oil. Grill the steaks for about 7 minutes per side for medium-rare (135°F on an instant-read thermometer). Baste with a thin layer of the sauce during the last minute of grilling.

　　

Step 5

Rest the meat for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the steaks with the remaining sauce on the side.

　　Keep It Simple:

　　Substitute any kind of chile rub or Cajun seasoning for the Smokin' Rub.Substitute prepared BBQ sauce spiked with a tablespoon of instant powdered espresso for the grilling sauce.Use lamb shoulder chops instead of lamb leg steaks.Know-How: Making Lamb Steaks

　　If you can't find lamb leg steaks, you can get the same cut by slicing a boneless leg of lamb 1/2 inch thick.

　　From Fire It Up: More Than 400 Recipes for Grilling Everything by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim. Text copyright © 2011 by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim; photographs copyright © 2011 by Alison Miksch. Published by Chronicle Books LLC.