Grilled Lamb

I have to admit that when it comes to lamb,  I’m good for a couple of gyros a year, but that’s about it. I don’t really have any objections to lamb per se. It’s just not something I grew up eating, so I don’t even think about it when I’m planning meals. But with Easter coming up there’s lots of lamb available, so I thought I’d give it a try on the grill.

Flattening the leg, instead of cooking it rolled up like a roast, decreases the cooking time and gives you more of the crispy, herby crust.

Ingredients

1 boneless leg of lamb, 4 to 6 pounds, butterflied
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon or strong brown mustard
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried spearmint
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

Unroll the leg of lamb and remove any excess fat. You want the leg as uniformly flat as possible, so you may need to cut into the bigger muscle to open it up a little. Score the fat cap with a sharp knife, making crisscross cuts every half inch or so to help the meat take in the marinade.

Combine everything but the lamb in a food processor and blend until it’s a thick paste. Spread the paste over all sides of the leg. Work the paste into the crevices and the cuts you made in the fat cap.

Wrap the leg in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Set your grill up for a direct cook over medium heat (350°F). Add wood for smoke (I like grape vine or apple for meats like lamb). Put the lamb, skin side down, on the middle of the hot grate. After 20 minutes, flip the roast and rotate it 180 degrees. Cook for another 20 minutes, then flip and rotate again.

Continue cooking until the leg reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees (medium rare), about another 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving against the grain into thin slices for serving.

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