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I am hosting a dinner party for 17 for a friend soon. Her favorite dish is leg of lamb. But...I have never prepared lamb in any form before. So would you be kind enough to tell me your favorite way to prepare lamb? I think she likes it grilled...side dish suggestions would also be appreciated!
Thanks so much...

I have made the following a couple times and it is quite tasty:

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb
4 lbs. Leg of lamb,
-butterflied (approx)
2 teaspoons Salt
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup Olive oil
2 Lemons, juiced
⅓ cup Tomato paste
2 teaspoons Rosemary
½ teaspoon Black pepper,
-ground coarse
½ teaspoon Marjoram
½ teaspoon Oregano
½ teaspoon Savory
1. Have the butcher butterfly the leg of lamb, or do it yourself.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a glass, enamel, stainless, or plastic container and beat with a whisk or fork until combined. It takes a few minutes.
3. Add the lamb, turning it to make sure it is coated on all sides. Marinate two hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator. Check occasionally to make sure that it is still coated with the marinade and re-cover as necessary.
4. Grill outside, or broil inside at about 8 inches from the flame for 15 minutes on each side, brushing occasionally with the marinade. Serve sliced thin (hot) with the rest of the marinade, heated.
Servings/Yield: 6
Source: SOAR - the Searchable Online Archive of Recipes
Course: Main
I think something like couscous salad or grilled/roasted vegetables would be nice with this. Grilled artichokes are nice too. I like butterflying the lamb leg as it cooks more evenly and it is faster. I also did one that was stuffed with herbs and whatnot then rolled but don't remember what recipe I used.

Mary

Hi,

I will second Mary's idea about Grilled Butterflied Boneless Leg of Lamb.

We use Julia Child's recipe which is very similar, using a vinaigrette/marinade of garlic, salt, dijon, soy sauce, rosemary, lemon juice and olive oil. Butterflying to a 2" - 3" thick assures even cooking. You can grill, roast or broil with equal success. (125-130 degrees F. will allow for cooking in advance and reheating later.) The dish can be held and served at room temperature or rewarmed with no problem.

Good luck,

Tim

Thanks Mary and Tim. Is butterflying the leg a big deal? I've never done anything at all with lamb. It sounds like it will be fairly easy, provided I butterfly....?? Anything special I should know? I will probably get this at Costco since their meat is the best in our area, so no butcher to ask favors of...

Cookie,

Costco sells cryovac'd boneless leg of lamb. You open the package, remove the elastic mesh and spread out the lamb. The only cuts would those to open up any lobes that are more than 3" thick. Here is a link to a You Tube video on butterflying a boneless leg. [url=Cookie,

Costco sells cryovac'd boneless leg of lamb. You open the package, remove the elastic mesh and spread out the lamb. The only cuts would those to open up any lobes that are more than 3" thick. Here is a link to a You Tube video on butterflying a boneless leg. (LINKY)

Tim

I'd strongly suggest taking off all the fat -- unlike beef, lamb fat tastes like lanolin and many people dislike that flavor. that's why you need the marinades -- to add moisture. And please don't overcook it - I take mine off at about 125 and let the temp run up. Usually with a butterflied leg there are thicker and thinner sections so you can cater to people's preferences that way.

Thanks Lindsay and Tim. Tim, I think that link was very helpful. I'll let you know how mine turns out!

Prepared the lamb for the party last night...thanks, Tim, for that link. It really helped me prepare it. I used a recipe from Epicurious with lots of garlic, fennel and rosemary, grilled it, then poured a salsa of kalamata olives and tomatoes over the top and sprinkled with fresh basil. Even for one who doesn't eat lamb, I thought it was great, and everyone else there really raved about it. Thanks for all your help!

For any lamb lovers who might read this, Sam's Club carries boned leg of lamb (and racks of lamb) at about 1/3 of what they go for in our local grocery stores.

I have grilled the legs many times, and I have opened up the meat a bit more, stuffed it with feta and herbs, tied it back up, and grilled it on my Weber charcoal rotisserie. Excellent.

The racks of lamb from Sam's are awesome if cooked indirect on the grill until almost done, then put over the charcoal direct to brown them up. Rest and slice double-chop size. The indirect cooking makes it the same doneness from side to side. Perfect pink in every bite. I like to add a couple pieces of cherry wood to the charcoal for a hint of smoke flavor.