Mechoui Moroccan Style Bbq Recipes

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB MECHOUI RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep. Have your butcher remove the bone from the leg and cut off about 6-8" of the shank. Freeze the shank for later use. If you get the leg bone still in, you can cut off the shank with a saw and remove the bone with a filleting knife. Remove the thick fat cap, the thin silverskin membrane, and any tendons, sinew, and cartilage while you take the meat apart. I try to remove muscles intact and cut them up into large chunks. Inevitably you will end up with chunks of varying sizes. Group them according to size so you can cook each size for a different lenght of time. Or you can freeze one group for later. Put the meat in a nonreactive pan and cover all surfaces with charmoula. Marinate up to 24 hours if possible. An hour will do, but longer is better.
• Fire up. Preheat the grill as hot as you can get it. Sprinkle the ras el hanout on the meat generously, but not thick.
• Cook. Grill on one side until it releases from the grate easily and gets good grill marks. Roll it onto the opposite side and take the temp of several pieces immediately. Small pieces will cook fast, and grills have hotspots, so test many pieces. Use this Food Temperature Guide to decide when to take it off. I usually pull it at 125-130°F (52-54°C) for rare meat.
• Serve. Serve with couscous and harissa sauce on the side.

MOROCCAN MECHOUI (SLOW ROASTED LEG OF LAMB OR SHOULDER)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Trim excess fat from leg of lamb or shoulder, and make a dozen or more deep cuts into meat with tip of a sharp knife.
• Combine butter with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, saffron, turmeric, and olive oil. Spread mixture over entire leg or shoulder of lamb, working some butter into incisions made with knife.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan, and proceed with one of the roasting methods below. Very Slow-Roasting Method: 7 1/2 to 9 Hours This is the preferred Marrakesh method. You can reduce the cooking time to 4 to 5 hours by using a 350 F/180 C oven temperature.
• Preheat oven to 250 F.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan and cover with foil, sealing edges tightly. Roast lamb, basting hourly and resealing foil each time, for 7 to 8 hours, or until juices run clear and meat is tender enough to pinch off the bone.
• Small pieces of lamb, weighing less than 4 pounds might finish cooking in 6 hours. Larger pieces might take closer to 9 hours.
• Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 475 F. Brown lamb, basting frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until meat is well-colored.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, pour juices over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping. Traditional Roasting Method: 3 to 4 Hours When short on time, this method also works well, but the meat won't be quite as tender as the above method. The lamb will, however, have more of a crisp crust, which some Moroccans find desirable.
• Heat oven to 475 F. Add 1/2 cup of water to pan, and roast lamb, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 F and continue roasting lamb, basting occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until meat is tender, juices run clear, and lamb has a dark, crisp crust.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, juices can be poured over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping. Fast Roasting Method: 1 to 2 Hours
• Preheat oven to 475 F. Wrap exposed lower leg of the lamb in foil to prevent burning. Add 1/2 cup of water and a few tablespoons of olive oil to pan, and roast lamb, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours, basting frequently, until lamb is well browned and juices run clear when a knife is inserted deep into meat.
• If meat has browned before juices are clear, cover meat with loose foil to prevent further darkening.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. If desired, juices can be poured over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping.

BARBECUED MECHOUI LAMB

Steps:

• Place the lamb in a non-aluminium container.
• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and rub over the meat.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight or let stand for 2-3 hours at room temperature.
• Bring the lamb to room temperature, if refrigerated.
• Heat the oven.
• Remove the lamb from the marinade and sprinkle with salt.
• Cook the meat until rare, remove from the oven and allow a few minutes before carving.
• Sprinkle with a little chopped mint before serving.