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Dolly's Rub Is The Only One You Ever Need For Lamb

Last Modified On: July 15, 2026

Dolly the Lamb (July 5, 1996 to February 14, 2003) was the first cloned mammal. She was produced by Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and other scientists at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh, Scotland. Wilmut said “Dolly is derived from a mammary gland cell and we couldn’t think of a more impressive pair of glands than Dolly Parton’s”. So naturally I have to name my BBQ and grilling lamb rub after her. Read on for Dolly’s lamb rub recipe.

Rosemary and garlic are the classic seasonings for lamb and mutton, with good reason. Forget the mint jelly, please. Now if you want to chop up a bit of fresh mint, go for it. But remember: Lamb is very much like beef, a hearty red meat. You wouldn’t put mint jelly on a roast beef would you?

Dolly’s lamb rub recipe

grilled leg of lamb

Dolly’s Lamb Rub Recipe

4.27 from 197 votes
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Rosemary and garlic are classic seasonings for lamb and mutton because it enhances the flavor and brings out the best qualities of the meat. This recipe includes both and is the only one you need for any lamb dish.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings: 0.5 cup
Course: Rub, Sauces and Condiments
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
 
 

For the rub
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves (broken or crushed a bit by hand)
  • 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
For the paste
  • 6 tablespoons water
For the dry brine

Method
 

  1. Dry brine a leg of lamb, rack of lamb, or lamb shoulder a few hours before cooking. Overnight is better. You want the salt to have a chance to soak in. Use 1/2 teaspoon Morton coarse kosher salt per pound (454g) of meat.
  2. For the rub mince, press, or crush the garlic, then mix it with the remaining rub ingredients in a bowl. You can store this for later use or you can mix it with the water to make a paste and use it right away. To make the paste, add about half the water and stir. If it is too thick, add more water until you have a slurry that spreads thickly. To use the paste, coat the brined meat with it and start cooking.

Notes

About the bay leaves. These are usually sold whole, so you’ll need to grind them yourself in a spice grinder, blender, food processor, or coffee grinder.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.

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