Recipe By Morgan Bolling
Published on September 5, 2024
It took 112 pounds of meat, but we finally achieved a leg of lamb that tasted as impressive as it looked.
Time
14 hr 30 minYield
Yield: Serves 10 to 12Why This Recipe Works
This grand cut has an iconic figure, impressive enough for any celebration, but its tapered shape also means that, when cooked over a fire, the meat will take on a wide range of doneness. To combat this, we set up a half-grill fire and started the leg of lamb on the cooler side of the grill before searing it over the hotter side. This helped us avoid flare-ups while still giving the roast a charred exterior and a lovely medium-rare interior. We smeared a powerful paste of fresh thyme, dried oregano, garlic, lemon zest, and plenty of salt and pepper onto the leg of lamb and refrigerated it overnight to season the meat and add flavor to its exterior. And since a beautiful roast needs a beautiful sauce, we charred some scallions on the grill and stirred them into a rich mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, and garlic.
Ingredients
Lamb
Scallion Sauce
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Combine garlic, oil, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, lemon zest, and coriander in bowl. Place lamb on rimmed baking sheet. Rub lamb all over with garlic paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Combine oil, parsley, vinegar, garlic, pepper, salt, and pepper flakes in bowl; set aside.
- FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
- FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn of other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner [or, if using three-burner grill, primary burner and second burner] as needed to maintain grill temperature between 350 and 400 degrees.)
- Place lamb fat side up on cooler side of grill, parallel to fire. (If using gas, it may be necessary to angle thicker end of roast toward hot side of grill to fit.) Cover grill (positioning lid vent directly over roast if using charcoal) and cook until thickest part of meat, ½ inch from bone, registers 120 degrees, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Transfer lamb, fat side down, to hotter side of grill. Cook (covered if using gas) until fat side is well browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer lamb to carving board, fat side up, and tent with aluminum foil. Let meat rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut scallions into ½-inch pieces, then stir into reserved oil mixture. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice lamb thin and serve with scallion sauce.
Lamb
Scallion Sauce
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