Spice Rubbed Butterflied Leg Of Lamb Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

OLIVE-AND-SPICE-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Puree the garlic, paprika, coriander, cumin, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into a paste in a mini food processor. Add the olives, parsley, cilantro and lemon juice; pulse to chop. Add the butter and pulse to incorporate all the ingredients.
• Cut the lamb along a natural seam into 2 equal pieces. Rub the olive-spice mixture evenly all over the lamb; cover and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.
• Bring the lamb to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the broiler and line a broiler pan with foil. Place the lamb smooth-side down on the pan. Broil just until charred, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; carefully turn the lamb, using tongs. Return to the oven; broil until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 125 to 130 degrees, about 10 more minutes.
• Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice across the grain and arrange on a platter.
• Photography by Con Poulos

SPICE-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH HARISSA YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• For the lamb: Use paper towels to pat dry the leg of lamb. In a small bowl, combine the salt, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper and cayenne. Season all sides of the lamb with the spice mixture and place on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes or place in the refrigerator overnight and allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Drizzle the lamb with the olive oil, then roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F for medium, about 1 hour and 15 minutes more. Allow to rest before serving, 15 to 20 minutes, then slice.
• For the sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the harissa, yogurt and honey. Season with salt. Refrigerate until serving.
• For the optional garnish: Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, mint, scallions, good olive oil and sea salt if desired. Serve with the harissa yogurt sauce.

HERBED AND BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• With a mortar and pestle, lightly crush peppercorns and coriander seeds. Transfer to a small bowl, and add olive oil, salt and garlic. Finely grate lemon peel, and add to mixture. Cut lemon into quarters, and squeeze juice into mixture, then add leftover lemon as well.
• Place lamb skin side down in a shallow dish, and press whole rosemary sprigs into scored meat. Pour marinade over meat, pressing lemon pieces into meat. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to cook, remove lamb from refrigerator, and allow to sit at room temperature while oven heats to 425 degrees. Place lamb skin side up in a roasting pan, keeping lemon pieces and rosemary pressed into underside.
• Roast 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 145 degrees (for medium-well lamb), or adjust cooking time as desired. When cooked to taste, remove lamb from oven, and allow to rest in pan for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

SPICED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, combine olive oil, coriander and fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add lamb, and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes (or refrigerate, covered tightly, up to overnight and bring to room temperature before grilling).
• Heat grill to medium-low (see page 367 for instructions); lightly oil grates. Place lamb on grill. Cover, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 130°F for medium-rare, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to a plate, and cover loosely with aluminum foil; let rest 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, grill lemon wedges until cut sides are marked, about 1 minute per side. Thinly slice lamb, and serve with grilled lemon wedges.
• Use a vegetable peeler to remove peel from half the lemon in wide strips (leaving the bitter white pith behind). Thinly slice peel with a sharp knife. Halve lemon, and squeeze to extract 2 tablespoons juice.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add orzo and lemon peel. Cook until orzo is al dente according to package instructions; drain, and return to pan.
• Add lemon juice, oil, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

FENNEL-RUBBED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARROTS AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Lamb:
• Season lamb generously with salt and pepper; let it sit out at room temperature while you prepare the rub.
• Using spice mill or mortar and pestle, coarsely grind fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in garlic and 3 Tbsp. oil. Evenly rub lamb all over with spice mixture, making sure to work it into every nook and cranny.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy skillet over medium. As soon as oil is hot and shimmering, add lamb to skillet and cook, carefully pouring off fat as needed into a small bowl (reserve it), until golden brown all over, 3-5 minutes per side. The goal here is to cook out some of the excess fat while you brown the meat, so it's important to maintain a moderate heat to keep the meat from getting dark before the fat can melt out. If the oil looks really dark or tastes burned, discard it and use olive oil in the next step.
• Trim tops from carrots and set aside for making the salsa verde. Scrub carrots, pat dry, and scatter along the outer edges of a large rimmed baking sheet. Place seared lamb in the center. Pour reserved fat and any fat still in skillet (don't forget to scrape out the crispy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan) over carrots, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
• Roast lamb and carrots until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of leg registers 135°F for medium-rare, 75-90 minutes. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and tent with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Salsa Verde and assembly:
• While the lamb is resting, transfer carrots to a platter, then carefully pour any juices from the baking sheet into a small bowl (you should have about 1/4 cup; if you don't, top off with olive oil). Transfer carrots back to baking sheet and pop back into oven. Roast 5 minutes to reheat.
• Meanwhile, finely chop reserved carrot tops to make 1/2 cup; discard remaining tops. Place in a small bowl and mix in parsley, chives, lemon juice, pan juices, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Season with salt and pepper and more lemon juice if needed.
• Remove twine from lamb and slice about 1/2" thick (but you can really go as thick or thin as you would like). Arrange on a platter and serve with warm roasted carrots and salsa verde alongside.

LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry and score fat by making shallow cuts all over with tip of a sharp small knife.
• Pound garlic to a paste with sea salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a heavy knife) and stir together with rosemary and pepper. Put lamb in a lightly oiled roasting pan, then rub paste all over lamb. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Roast lamb in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into thickest part of meat (do not touch bone) registers 130°F, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 15 to 25 minutes (internal temperature will rise to about 140°F for medium-rare).
• Add wine to pan and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Season pan juices with salt and pepper and serve with lamb.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• 1. Combine the wine, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and 8 tablespoons parsley. Pour over lamb in a shallow dish. Refrigerate, covered, 6 hours or overnight, turning the lamb frequently. Remove lamb; reserve marinade.
• 2. Grill lamb 4 inches above hot coals, about 20 minutes on each side, basting frequently. Check for doneness frequently after 30 minutes of grilling. Cut into thin slices on the diagonal, arrange on a platter and serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining parsley.

GRILLED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON, HERBS, AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Make herb rub:
• Finely chop garlic and in a small bowl stir together with remaining herb-rub ingredients.
• Put lamb in a large dish and with tip of a sharp small knife held at a 45-degree angle cut 1/2-inch-deep slits all over lamb, rubbing herb mixture into slits and all over lamb. Marinate lamb at room temperature 1 hour.
• Prepare grill.
• Lightly pat lamb dry. On a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals grill lamb about 10 minutes on each side, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125°F for medium-rare. (Alternatively, roast lamb in a roasting pan in middle of a 425°F oven about 25 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer horizontally inserted into meat registers 125°F for medium-rare.) Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Halve and seed lemon. Squeeze juice over lamb and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 minutes.
• Cut lamb into slices and serve with any juices that have accumulated on cutting board.

SPICE-RUBBED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine the first 13 ingredients in a food processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. Add oil and lemon; process until well blended. pour spice mixture over the lamb in a resealable bag. Refrigerate overnight turning occasionally. Prepare barbecue (400). Remove lamb and grill 15-20 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 1/3 inch slices

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH CARAMELIZED ONION BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the marinade. Whirl all the marinade ingredients together in a food processor. Needle the lamb all over with a fork, and nestle it in a nonreactive bowl. Spoon the marinade onto the meat and slather it around til the meat is well coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
• Prepare a hot coal bed and mound the coals on one side of the grill. When you're ready to cook, scrape off all the marinade and pat the meat dry. Lay the lamb, boned side down, directly over the coals. Sear it for 4 minutes. Flip it over and sear the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Slide the meat away from the coals, to cook it with indirect heat. Cover the grill and adjust the heat so that it's 325° to 350° inside. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, til the internal temperature reaches about 145°.
• Get the sauce cooking while the meat roasts. Drop the butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook slowly, stirring every now and then, til deeply caramelized. Add the broth, Mutha Sauce, and cumin. Keep warm over low heat.
• Check the meat with an instant-read thermometer, and once it reaches 145°, pull it off the grill and let it rest for 15 minutes. Carve the lamb across the grain into 1/4-inch slices on a cutting board with a well to catch all those delicious juices. You might have to remove some odd connectors or cut the muscle clods into more manageable sizes, but do what you've gotta do and keep carving across the grain. Arrange the meat on a platter.
• Pour all the accumulated meat juices into the sauce, and boost the heat up for a minute or two to get it nice and hot. Stir in the mint and then ladle the sauce over the sliced lamb. It's ready to go.

SPICE-RUBBED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine first 13 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. Add oil and lemon juice and process until well blended.
• Place lamb in large resealable plastic bag. Pour spice mixture over lamb; seal bag. Turn bag several times and rub spice mixture into lamb. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove lamb from marinade; shake off excess. Grill lamb to desired doneness or until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 125°F to 130°F, for medium-rare about 15 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut lamb into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange on platter and serve.

GARLIC-AND-HERB-RUBBED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. In a bowl, combine oil, herbs, orange zest and juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with foil and let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Remove foil and transfer lamb to oven. Roast until a thermometer reads 120 degrees for rare and 130 for medium, about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on how you like your meat. Let cool completely, then wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

SPICE-RUBBED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine first 13 ingredients in processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse paste forms. Add oil and lemon juice and process until well blended.
• Place lamb in large resealable plastic bag. Pour spice mixture over lamb; seal bag. Turn bag several times and rub spice mixture into lamb. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Remove lamb from marinade; shake off excess. Grill lamb to desired doneness or until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 125°F to 130°F, for medium-rare about 15 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to cutting board. Cover with foil and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cut lamb into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange on platter and serve.