Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb
When thinking of summer grilling, a boneless leg of lamb is probably not usually what comes first to mind. Lamb has somehow gotten a bad rap of having a very strong flavor and taste. This recipe I believe will change the minds of even the biggest lamb skeptics out there. The boneless leg of lamb is “ butterflied” which is a culinary term to cut a thick piece of meat into a thinner thickness. The lamb is marinated and then perfectly grilled. Smoky charred on the outside, juicy on the inside and, served with a simple fresh herb pistou sauce, this just may make it to the top of your outdoor grilling repertoire!
Ingredients
- 1 4- pound Boneless Leg of Lamb butterflied*
Rub:
- 3 cloves Garlic peeled
- 1 cup Loosely Packed Parsley Leaves
- 4 T Fresh Thyme Leaves or Rosemary
- 3 T Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Pistou:
- 3 cloves Garlic peeled
- 1 cup Loosely Packed Parsley Leaves
- 3 cups Basil Leaves
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- *You can ask your butcher to butterfly the boneless leg of lamb for you or you can do it yourself by placing the leg of lamb on a cutting board, using a boning knife to “butterfly” the thickest part of the leg areas so that the overall thickness of the meat is 1 – 1½” thick.
- If necessary, trim any large pieces of fat off the meat.
- I then cut the leg into 2 pieces so that it is easier to handle. Set aside.
- In a bowl of your food processor, while running, add the garlic and process until chopped. Add the parley and herbs; pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse until combined.
- Spread the rub all over the lamb. Place in a ziplock bag or sealed container. Refrigerate overnight.
- Approximately 1 ½ hour before want to serve the lamb, Remove the meat from the bag or container, place on a platter and let sit on your counter for 30 minutes. Preheat your BBQ grill.
- Right before grilling, pat the meat dry using paper towels dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the meat fat side up on the grill over “medium-high” heat. Let the meat achieve a nice sear before flipping it over, about 6 minutes.
- Flip to the other side. You may need to occasionally flip or turn the meat over if the fat should catch on fire and flare up.
- Continue cooking until the thermometer reads 125º-130º F for medium rare, about and additional 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat and the temperature of your grill.
- Remove from grill and place on platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Slice the lamb against the grain i.e. with the knife slicing perpendicular to the direction of the grain in the meat.
- Place the sliced meat on a platter, and serve with pistou sauce.
- Pistou: In a bowl of your food processor, while running, add the garlic. Process until chopped, add the parsley and basil, and pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the olive oil, pulse until smooth, season with salt and pepper. This sauce can be made 4 days ahead, but remove from refrigerator a hour before serving.
Notes
TIPS & TRICKS
– If you have the lamb butterflied by the butcher, make sure to ask to have it cut so that the overall thickness of the meat is 1- 1½ inches, this will make the cooking process much easier and insure that the meat is cooked evenly.
– You can make the pistou directly after you make the rub, so that you don’t have to wash the food processor twice.
– Left over grilled lamb makes the most fantastic sandwiches or tacos!