Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8

1 butterflied leg of lamb, about 4 pounds

5 cloves of garlic, peeled, cut into quarters

1 bunch of rosemary, stems removed

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

GRILLING FOR A GROUP? HERE’S YOUR ANSWER

Roasting a bone-in leg of lamb can be a challenge—even for a professional chef. It tends to end up well-done on the outside and almost bleu, as the French would say, on the interior. 

But in the summertime, it’s no problem at all. When I’m entertaining, there are few things I enjoy grilling more than a butterflied leg of lamb. It’s relatively fast, about 20 minutes total, and because the bone is removed, the meat lies flat, meaning it’s possible to grill evenly at whatever temperature you prefer. 

In terms of seasoning, I’m a traditionalist. I stud the meat with slivers of garlic and coat it with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary. This past weekend, I added some garlic powder to the dry rub. 

If there is a thick coating of fat on the outside of the meat, I trim some so it’s no more than ¼-inch thick. I want enough fat to infuse the meat with flavor as it melts and gets nice and crispy, but not so much that it causes flareups on the grill. 

This time of year, when tomatoes, eggplant and squash are in abundance, I like to serve the lamb with ratatouille. If I’m able to find thin-skinned, baby potatoes, I'll buy a bunch at my local farmstand (I'm loyal to Halsey Farm). I then boil them in salted water till ¾ cooked while rendering the trimmed lamb fat in a pan. I gently sauté the par-cooked potatoes in the fat till nicely browned and cripsy. 

What am I drinking with this meal? Well, that’s easy. Rosé—all summer long. 

Instructions

Trim the leg of lamb of any excess fat. Discard, or render in a saute pan for baby potatoes. Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper. Rub the inside with olive oil and pierce the meat about 20 times. Insert the garlic slivers and rosemary sprigs (see picture). Using a gas grill, heat to medium. Lay the meat fatty-side down first, at a 45-degree angle to the grates. Close the top immediately to reduce flames. After 5 minutes, rotate the meat 45-degrees to create cross-hatch marks. Grill for another 5 minutes with the top down. 

Flip the meat and position at a 45-degree angle. Put the top down and grill for 5 minutes. Rotate the meat and grill for another 5 minutes with the top down. The meat is medium rare when a thermometer, inserted into the thickest part, reaches 130-135 degrees. Remove to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and rosemary. Slice thinly and plate individually or on a platter. Top with accumulated juices from the cutting board and serve with Dijon mustard.