Unbelievably it’s Easter weekend already (a joyous Easter to those so inclined), and while I’d probably rather be chasing big GT’s with Jess in Samoa right now, She Who Must Be Obeyed’s clamoring for a grilled leg of lamb this weekend has inspired visions of grilled goodness for the holiday.
While we’ll always be partial to this ancho chile infused Southwestern Leg of Lamb recipe, SWMBO asked for this weekend’s lamb to be seasoned with more traditional Greek flavors.
Luckily one of my residency mates (Alec) was the son of first generation Greek immigrants who moved to Denver and opened a Greek restaurant decades ago; he was kind enough to send this Grilled Greek Leg of Lamb recipe over from his family files after only a modest amount of pestering.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s danged simple – you just mix, marinate and grill. Alec reminded me of a great tip to keep a boneless leg of lamb from curling while on the grill – thread three or four long metal skewers through the meat before placing on the grill. It keeps the trimmed leg flat and makes it a bit easier to turn as well.
Ours goes in the marinade tomorrow morning – see you at the grill with a bowl of fresh Tzatziki sauce on Sunday afternoon.
4 to 5 lb butterflied leg of lamb, trimmed
1/2 cup EVOO
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry red wine, optional
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh oregano, cut into chiffonade
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Combine all the (non-lamb) ingredients and mix well. Pour over the trimmed lamb in a large, resealable plastic bag; turn to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.
Bring to room temp an hour before grilling.
Fire the grill.
Remove from the marinade and place the skewers if using (see above). Grill over medium-hot fire 12-16 minutes, turning and moving as needed, or until interior temp hits 128. (This is medium-rare…)
Rest, loosely covered with foil, for 20 minutes; as always, don’t be tempted to slice too early. For the nit-pickers among us, the interior temp should climb toward 135 during the rest period).
Carve across the grain into thin slices.
Enjoy.
