Grilled Butterflied Leg Of Lamb

6-pound leg of lamb, boned

Marinade:

2/3 cup good quality olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup chopped flat parsley

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 bay leaves crumbled

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Salt and coarse black pepper

Ask the butcher to bone and butterfly the leg of lamb. At home, place meat on a board fat side down. The meat should lie flat. Cut through and separate any pockets of meat and remove any clumps of fat. You may wish to remove the small piece of attached meat that tends to be full of gristle.

Marinade: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and crumbled bay leaves in a large pan or baking dish. Mix in onions and garlic. Season both sides of lamb with salt and pepper and place in pan with marinade, turning meat to coat both sides. Cover the meat with foil wrap and marinate in the refrigerator at least 12 and as long as 24 hours, removing to room temperature the last 2 hours. Turn meat every few hours or at least the last few hours at room temperature.

To grill meat: From start to finish and using a preheated hot grill, the leg of lamb should take approximately 25 to 30 minutes to cook. Make sure grill has been preheated at least 15 minutes. Remove meat from marinade and lay fat side down on hot grill, grids placed about 6 inches above heat. Cook meat 7 minutes, turn with a pair of tongs and moisten with a few tablespoons of marinade. Cook another 7 minutes, turn. Cook 5 minutes, turn and cook 5 minutes longer and finish with 2 more minutes of cooking. Ideally the meat should be pink rimmed with a dark brown crust and a suggestion of red in the center. Thinner areas will be quite well done. In other words, there will be something for everybody -- rare, pink, medium and well done.

Rest meat on a board, lightly covered with foil, for at least 15 minutes and up to 25 minutes before carving. Carve the leg against the grain into thin slices. Moisten meat with any juices on the board and serve on warmed plates.

Makes 12 servings.

Deviled Rack of Lamb

2 racks of lamb
(2-2 1/2 lbs each, 7-8 chops per rack)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
1 teaspoon dried rosemary -- crushed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup cracker crumbs (6 to 8 saltines) -- finely ground or matzoh or dry bread crumbs

Place oven rack on center level. Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Place the racks of lamb in a 14-by-12-by-2-inch roasting pan.

Whisk together the oil, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat both sides of the racks with the mixture. Pat on a layer of bread or cracker crumbs.

Roast 20 minutes for rare. Let stand 5 minutes before carving.

Per serving: 646 calories, 67 gm protein, 2 gm carbohydrates, 39 gm fat, 221 mg cholesterol, 13 gm saturated fat, 466 mg sodium The Washington Post 12/20/95

6 to 8 servings

Barbara Kafka does not like her rack frenched, although it is considered more elegant. Just make sure the butcher removes the chine bone (the backbone) and that he cracks the rack between the ribs so it can easily be cut into chops at the table.

From "Roasting: A Simple Art" by Barbara Kafka

Balsamic Roasted Crown Rack of Lamb

2 each 16-20 oz racks of lamb
16 each Tourne new potatoes
16 each baby carrots
16 each Tourne Turnips
1 cup pearl onions (blanched & peeled)
10 each whole garlic cloves
2 ounce aged balsamic vinegar
2 ounces molasses
1 ounce whole thyme
1/2 ounce rosemary
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup rich veal stock
6 cups wild rice (cooked)

Clean and french two racks of lamb. Make 1 inch incisions at the side of each rib bone behind the chine. Lace butchers twine into the larding needle and tie both racks together to form a crown.

Rub liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper.

In a large rondeau (or braising pan) add olive oil. Saute on medium high heat, garlic cloves and vegetables for 1 minute. Add vinegar and reduce heat to low, simmer two minutes.

Add molasses, red wine and veal stock. Reduce sauce by half then pour through a strainer. Set aside braised vegetables and sauce in separate containers.

Place the lamb in the rondeau. With a pastry brush coat lamb with sauce liberally.

In the center of the rack place fresh herbs, wild rice, whole garlic cloves, and vegetables.

Place rondeau in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 120f, basting the lamb at 10 minute intervals Place lamb rack on a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes Carve two bone chops and serve with wild rice and vegetables

Butterflied Leg of Lamb

1 leg of lamb, 5 to 6 lb., trimmed of fat, boned and butterflied
7 large garlic cloves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 bottle full-bodied red wine
9 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup pitted oil-cured olives, plus extra for
garnish
2 Tbs. herbes de Provence
2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tsp. olive oil, or as needed
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Make 15 to 20 small slits at regular intervals in the butterflied lamb. Sliver 2 of the garlic cloves and insert into the slits. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the lamb in a large lock-top plastic bag or a nonaluminum dish and add 2 cups of the wine. Seal the bag securely or cover the dish. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or for up to 3 days, turning occasionally. Bring the lamb to room temperature before roasting.

On a cutting board, place the remaining 5 garlic cloves, sprinkle with a few pinches of coarse salt, then chop. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup olives, herbes de Provence and the 2 tsp. pepper and continue to chop to form a coarse paste.

Preheat an oven to 450°F. Remove the lamb from the marinade and lay it flat, cut side up. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Evenly spread the tomato-olive paste over the meat. Roll up the lamb and tie securely with kitchen string at intervals of 2 to 3 inches.

In a roasting pan over high heat, warm enough olive oil to form a film on the pan bottom. Add the lamb and brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to roast, basting every 10 to 15 minutes with the reserved marinade, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 125° to 130°F for very rare to medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, cut into the meat with a sharp knife; it should be pink or done to your liking. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over high heat. Add 1 cup of the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Bring to a boil and boil until reduced by half, 5 to 8 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the pan juices, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a warmed sauceboat.

Snip the strings and carve the lamb across the grain into thin slices. Arrange on a warmed platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with the olives. Pass the pan juices at the table.

Serves 8 to 10.

Rack of Lamb with Herb Crust

1/8 C fresh parsley
1/8 C fresh oregano
1/8 C fresh rosemary
1/8 C fresh thyme
1/2 C fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 T garlic, minced
1/4 C + 2 T olive oil
1 T Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1 rack of lamb (about 2-2 ½ lbs.)

Serves 2

Pre-heat oven to 450° F.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients, except mustard and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and process until well mixed, but still slightly crumbly. In other words, don't turn it to mush! Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until just below smoking. Season lamb rack with salt and pepper and quickly brown by cooking for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove lamb from skillet and place in an oiled roasting pan.

Carefully brush mustard over the section just over the top, underside and sides of chops, leaving bones exposed. Gently pat the herb/breadcrumb mixture over the mustard.

Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of about 130° F. Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving.

To serve lamb chops, slice between bones.