Kathleen Rear

We discovered our gas grill was broken just before we went to grill our lamb. Thankfully, we had our standby charcoal kettle grill. You know, it turned out so nice, I’m going to recommend you try the recipe over charcoal if you can.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

1 2-4 lb. Boneless Leg of Lamb
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Spiced Rub Mixture
2 tablespoons Pomegranate Seeds & Fresh Cilantro Leaves (For garnish)

Check out how to butterfly your leg of lamb here:
https://vimeo.com/26274201
Or if you’d like, ask your butcher to do it for you.

After you’ve butterflied your meat, turn it over so the fat/skin side is up. Score the fat deeply (about 1/2 an inch) using a crisscross pattern.
Rub the meat all over (fat & meat sides) with the olive oil and sprinkle on the spiced rub mixture. Allow the meat to sit covered in plastic on a sheet tray at room temp for up to and hour.

For the Rub Mixture:
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
Mix all the spices and herbs together in a small bowl and set aside until time to use.

Heat your grill (charcoal or gas) until it is very hot. About 500-600 degrees F. I usually hold my hand about 12 inches above the coals, and if I can’t keep it there for more than a moment, I figure that’s “very hot”. If you’d like a more precise measurement try a surface grill thermometer.

Place your lamb fat side down onto the grill and cover with the lid. Cook the meat for 5-7 minutes, then flip it over and cover with the lid again. Cook on the second side for 5-7 minutes.

With a probe thermometer test the temperature in the thickest part of the meat. The temp should read about 130 F for medium rare. If you’d like your meat better cooked or if the reading doesn’t reach 130, place the meat back on the grill for about 2-4 more minutes on each side.

Allow the meat to rest covered in foil for at least 10 minutes before carving into thin strips and serving.