I recently mentioned we have a whole lamb in our freezer. I didn’t grow up with lamb as part of my regular diet, so it has taken longer for me to get used to the taste. As many of you know, it’s very different than beef.
So many recipes try to cover up or cut through the taste of the lamb with various sauces or sides, the most popular being mint jelly. My husband prefers to taste the flavor of the lamb meat, so we rarely serve it. Mint jelly would work well with this dish if you would like to include it. He also adores lamb chops more than anyone could imagine.
This recipe does a great job tenderizing the meat, while providing lots of flavor. Honestly, it was delicious, BUT I would personally not attempt it without a wireless meat thermometer. You need one in order to not overcook a cut of meat like this. Plus you will use it constantly. It’s a wonderful kitchen tool and cheap investment!
The herbs in my garden are exploding right now. It’s so nice to run down and grab what I need for any meal. It saves so much money. Do you have an herb garden? What are you growing this year?However, my basil has seen better days. I think its getting eaten by grasshoppers. How does one control grasshoppers?
I chose to puree the marinade so it wouldn’t have a bunch of little bits to burn during grilling…especially the garlic. Burnt garlic has a horrible, bitter taste you wouldn’t want on this meat.
This is just after searing. As you can see I inserted the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the lamb.
This is a great way to enjoy outdoor cooking this summer, while experiencing an old favorite or something completely new to you. Either way I know you’ll love this lamb.
Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Marinade
Ingredients
- 5-7 lb leg of lamb, boneless and butterflied (make sure it opens flat)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh curly parsley
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1 Tablespoon coarse ground pepper
Directions
- Place leg of lamb in a large pan where it can lay flat. (I used a 15 x 10 Pyrex dish).
- In the bowl of a blender combine red wine, shallots, garlic, rosemary, oregano, parsley, thyme and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour over lamb and cover dish. Marinate for 8 hours, turning lamb several times. This can be done in the refrigerator but I would suggest removing lamb from the refrigerator an hour ahead of time. This will help reduce the cooking time and keep the outside from burning.
- Preheat gas grill on high. Start with searing the meat, fat side down on the hotter part of the grill for 4 minutes. Turn over and sear another four minutes. Move lamb to cooler part of the grill and turn the temperature down to low. Insert meat thermometer into the thickest part of the lamb and cover grill. Continue to cook until meat has reached 125 degrees F. Place meat on a large baking sheet and tent loosely with foil. Let sit for 15 before carving into slices. The lamb will be medium rare.
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
I need to show this to my Hubby! He wants to make leg of lamb on the grill this summer! Looks fantastic, Cathy! Sharing!
Kezz18 says
A handy hint for the lamb is to put long metal skewers (kebab style) through the lamb from side to side. It makes turning the lamb very easy & also keeps the lamb straight on the grill plate so it doesn’t curl up
Cathy says
That is a great tip.
Filipino Food says
This looks delectable. I would like to prepare this tonight đŸ™‚
Christine from Cook the Story says
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen lamb look so gorgeous before (except maybe a lamb that’s still alive) đŸ˜‰
Maria in Oregon says
Growing up, lamb was always a meat for special occasions or a special Sunday roast. My Dad always requests it for his birthday meal. My favorite way to cook it is to use my rottiserie oven, then serve with a nice spicy brown whole grain mustard. Maybe I should try outdoor grilling next time…
Nanci says
Do you think I could do the marinade on racks of Lamb?
I have 2 in the refrigerator. It looks wonderful!!!
Thank You
Nanci
Cathy says
I don’t see why you couldn’t try it.
Alexis Smith says
Hi Cathy,
This looks like a great recipe! My father actually loves lamb, and I’m thinking of cooking something up for him for Father’s Day. Thank you very much for sharing this, I’m sure she will love it. I hope I make one that’s as good as yours!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I love using fresh herbs to marinate this cut of meat (and I always cook it on the grill — so good!). I add yogurt to the marinade, to help with tenderizing the lamb.
Anna @ Garnish with Lemon says
Outstanding, Cathy! Love the herby marinade, too. We’re still waiting for our herbs to hit their growth spurt, but I can’t wait to snip whatever I want when that happens.
Bob says
Guh. That looks amazing. I didn’t grow up with lamb either but I can’t get enough. I was hoping that moving to farm country would make it more available but it’s just stupid, delicious pigs around here. My favorite way to do lamb is souvlaki, super simple.
Diane says
This looks like an amazing recipe! Maybe it’s my ADD, but I couldn’t find an approximate grilling time. Could you please let me know around how long it takes for the lamb to reach the 125F internal temperature? Thanks!
Cathy says
This has so many variables, which is why you have to use a meat thermometer. The starting temperature of your lamb, it’s size, how hot your grill is, outside temperature to maintain grill heat. Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour in most cases.