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spiced leg of lamb on the grill

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Lamb

Spiced Leg of Lamb on the Grill

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 and a grilled 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.

Ingredients

  • 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

Directions

  • 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 to 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.

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