Butterflying a leg of lamb produces a more uniform thickness, furthered by pounding, so the meat cooks evenly from end to end. It also creates more surface area for grilling, so that more of the meat takes on a charred taste. In this recipe, the lamb is marinated to infuse it with herbal flavors, but you could simply season it with no more than salt and pepper before grilling.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
3
2
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Preparation
Step 1
Prepare lamb and marinate Cover lamb with plastic wrap. Pound lamb with a meat mallet until it is slightly thicker than 1 inch all over. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade. Place lamb in a large resealable plastic bag and add remaining marinade, then force out air and seal. Massage the lamb a bit to coat it thoroughly. Set bag on a baking sheet (in case of leaks) in the refrigerator and marinate lamb 8 to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Step 2
Grill Remove lamb from bag and wipe off and discard as much marinade as possible so surface is dry. Let lamb rest at room temperature 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat grill to medium-high (see Grill Temperature Guidelines, page 162). When it is hot, scrub with a grill brush and sweep lightly with oil. Season lamb on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill (press down with tongs initially to make sure the lamb is evenly in contact with grill) until charred in spots, 5 to 6 minutes, rotating the lamb 90 degrees halfway through. Flip the lamb, then brush with some reserved marinade and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 125°F, again rotating it 90 degrees halfway through. This will take 5 to 6 minutes more. Let lamb rest 5 minutes.
Step 3
Serve Slice lamb and serve with remaining reserved marinade on the side.