Spiced Leg of Lamb on the Grill
Making the marinade -- first peppercorns.
Then sugar and red wine.
A cinnamon stick is dropped in.
Coriander, cumin and cardamom.
You simmer it for a few minutes.
While it simmered, Merrill chopped ginger. Doesn't that leftover piece of ginger look like the Michelin Man, except he lost his pants.
Once the marinade has simmered, you add the ginger along with some garlic, orange peel, mint and soy sauce.
After marinating the lamb, you pat it dry.
And season it -- enthusiastically!
Turning a butterflied leg of lamb is a two-man job. Then again, we make everything a two-man job.
Like transporting the meat from baking sheet to ....
cutting board. Safe landing!
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Author Notes: I had been looking for a lamb recipe and kept running into ones that used herbs and aromatics. I was looking for something with spices. Aggregating ideas from a number of sources, plus some taste memories of my own, I came up with this one. (The structure of the recipe relies on two recipes by Mark Bittman: a marinated steak < http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/281mrex.html?ref=dining > and a grilled leg of lamb < http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/featured-recipe-herbed-leg-of-lamb/ >.) It's not far from marinating the lamb in a mulled wine. It takes a little work in advance, plus the patience (or planning) to wait for the marination, but it is simple, and tasty, too. The recipe is tolerant of variation. For wine I chose Zinfandel (Ridge 2007 Ponzo Vineyard), but any bold red like a fruity Syrah or Malbec would do. The choice of spices is only limited by your spice merchant and your palate. I chose spices that reminded me of India. - asabnis
Food52 Review: The title of this recipe conjures up a lengthy process in your kitchen and on your deck, but it's one of the fastest recipes around. The marinade takes about 10 minutes to make and the lamb, because it's butterflied, cooks in about the same time. It was pouring rain the day we made this so we opted to broil it, and it turns out it's a terrific alternative. We laid the butterflied lamb on a baking sheet and set it about 6 inches from the broiler flame. Five minutes per side and we had perfect medium-rare, spicy and fragrant lamb. - A&M - A&M
Serves 4-6
- 4 pounds boneless butterflied leg of lamb
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 6 cloves
- 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
- 1 tablespoon coriander, ground
- 2 pieces cardamom
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
- 1 sprig mint leaves
- 1 piece orange or lemon peel
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- salt and pepper
- Boil the wine with the sugar, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, and cardamom.
- Simmer the marinade for 10 minutes, then add ginger, garlic, mint, orange peel, and soy sauce.
- Remove marinade from heat and cool to room temperature. (This can be done up to a day in advance, however, then refrigerate the marinade and strain the mint and solid spices out after 24 hours.)
- Trim as much fat as possible from the leg of lamb (or ask your butcher).
- Place lamb in a large zipper bag or airtight container, add marinade, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Remove lamb from marinade and dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
- Grill over medium heat, about 10-15 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature at the thickest part measures 125 F for medium rare.
- Remove lamb from grill. Rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with any collected juices.
- Your Best Spring Lamb Contest Finalist!
Tags: Easter, entertaining, Holidays, indian, savory, serves a crowd, spices
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7 months ago cyndie
this was so smooth! thought the spices might overpower the meat, but not at all. we vacuum packed the meat in the marinade for 8 -9 hours before putting on the grill. what a hit!!
about 1 year ago shoesthatilike
I made this for a group this past Easter Sunday. It was a HUGE hit. The marinade was really easy to prep. I only ended up marinating for 3-4 hours (poor planning) but the flavor and the color of the meat was still rich. I'm sure an overnight marinade would only make it all the more flavorful.
over 1 year ago WedgeMom
Awesome recipe . . . Except I get my lamb from a local farmer and have to de-bone and butterfly myself. It gets pretty gruesome but what is left of the poor lamb is good.
over 1 year ago asabnis
I bet the marinade would work with a whole leg. You could roast using your favorite method.
about 2 years ago Hilarybee
I'm making this for Easter Brunch! Wish me (and my grillmaster husband) luck!
about 2 years ago asabnis
Good luck and happy Easter. Let me know how it turns out.
about 2 years ago KateCooks
Looks fantastic! I'm thinking about doing a leg of lamb for Easter Brunch (to be served with other goodies like quiche, biscquits, asparagus, etc). Would this be good for brunch, or is it more of a dinner/bbq type marinade? Thanks!
about 2 years ago asabnis
The spices are pretty forward, so just be sure it won't clash with or overpower the rest of the dishes.
almost 3 years ago matthewddsg
I made this yesterday and it was loved by all. Thanks the delicious recipe!
about 3 years ago cocomacaroon
Oh, yummy! - love the spice combo.
about 3 years ago emmo
Butterflied lamb is nifty smart, and the spice galore is scrumptiously yummy.
about 3 years ago captainCook
This is a wonderful recipe. Cinnamon stick really does the wonder. Thanks for the recipe.
about 3 years ago lastnightsdinner
This was amazing. Strong flavors in the marinade but they left such beautiful echoes.
about 3 years ago FancyCook
I tried this recipe, and the lamb turned out fantastic.
about 3 years ago hayley
Sounds great. What sides would you serve with this to complete the meal? Thanks!
about 3 years ago asabnis
Thanks. I made a brown-rice pilaf with clove, a cherry-tomato + parsley salad, and Mark Bittman's chick-pea-and-spinach-and-chorizo dish (google it at the New York Times, it's delicious). Couscous was my plan B.
about 3 years ago Culinista Annouchka
We can't wait until our BBQ arrives so we can try this out! Great recipe
about 3 years ago aargersi
Abbie is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Wow, and yum. Will definitly be trying this - a great spring or summer lamb!!!
about 3 years ago asabnis
Thanks! We loved it.
about 3 years ago Abra Bennett
That sounds delicious. I'm looking forward to trying it.
about 3 years ago monkeymom
wow, is that pink meat lovely. It's beautiful.