Awhile back I made this recipe, but decided to alter it just a bit from the last version. I wanted a pronounced lemon flavor, and wanted the lamb to be utterly tender, so I marinated the meat for 24 hours, turning the bag a couple of times during that period. I used a larger leg of lamb (Australian boneless, from Costco), so have changed the recipe to accommodate that. If you have a smaller roast, just reduce the marinade quantities some. The recipe is very forgiving. The lemon juice, however, helps to tenderize the meat, so it needs contact with the protein for a longer period. Steven Raichlen’s recipe is a good one, and I merely enhanced it, I believe. It comes from his book, The Barbecue! Bible, a book I turn to over and over again for grilling ideas.
The result? The meat was utterly tender and very tasty with the oregano rub and the hint of lemon. The lemon did not overpower it at all. I used our Meyer lemons, since we have so many of them right now. You have lemons? Use this recipe for a lovely meal. If you don’t have a rotisserie, just grill the roast over heat until it’s brown, then away from the heat (indirect cooking method) until it’s cooked through to your liking. Rare? Take it out at 140. Medium? Remove at 160. Our roast was not an even thickness, so we removed it at 160 and the center was still nicely red/medium rare. Delicious. The leftovers will go into my favorite Shepherd’s Pie with Chipotle Sweet Potatoes. A real treat and one Dave and I always enjoy.
Rotisseried Leg of Lamb with Lemons and Butter
Recipe By: Adapted from Steven Raichlen’s, The Barbecue Bible
Serving Size: 10
NOTES: If the leg of lamb has one very large lump of meat once you open it up, it’s wise to make a deep cut in the meat to create another surface or two. Don’t cut all the way through, just enough to add another valley for adding spices and lemons.
6 pounds boneless leg of lamb — butterflied
MARINADE:
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 whole lemons — one halved, the other sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter — room temp
1/2 cup olive oil
BASTING MIXTURE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 cloves garlic — minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano — crushed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. MARINADE: Combine the salt, white pepper and oregano in a small bowl. Open out the butterflied leg of lamb on a cutting board so the inside is UP and sprinkle the meat with one third of the spice mixture. Squeeze the juice from halved lemon and spread all over the meat. Place in a Ziploc plastic bag with the olive oil and sliced lemon, seal well and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning it 3-4 times. Allow it to sit out at room temp for an hour before proceeding.
2. Drain off and discard the marinade, including the lemon slices. Blot the roast with paper towels. Rub the surface of the lamb with the 4 tablespoons of butter (if it’s at room temp it really does spread easily). Fold the lamb back into its original cylindrical shape and tie it at 1-inch intervals with butcher’s string.
2. Set up the grill for rotisserie cooking and preheat to high.
3. When ready to cook, skewer the lamb roast lengthwise on the spit. Add another generous sprinkling of the spice mixture. Attach the spit to the rotisserie mechanism, cover and let the meat start rotating. Reduce heat to medium (about 350°).
4. BASTING MIXTURE: combine the oil, lemon juice, wine, garlic, oregano and pepper in a medium-sized nonreactive (plastic is good) bowl and whisk to mix.
5. After the meat has been rotating for 15 minutes, restir the basting mixture and brush it all over the lamb, using a long-handled basting brush. Cook the lamb until crusty and brown on the outside and done to taste, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. An instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the roast will register 145° for rare, or 160° for medium or 170° for well done.
6. Uncover the grill every 15 minutes to brush more basting mixture on the meat throughout its cooking time. Add more of the seasoning mixture from time to time. (If using a charcoal grill, add 10-12 fresh coals per side after one hour.)
7. Transfer the roast, on the spit, to a cutting board. Extract the spit and let the roast rest for 10 minutes tented lightly with foil. Remove string and slice.
Per Serving: 561 Calories; 35g Fat (57.6% calories from fat); 56g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 189mg Cholesterol; 743mg Sodium.
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A year ago: Pork Ragu on Pasta
Two years ago: Triple Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce





Karen (our daughter-in-law) also made a huge stuffed leg of lamb. She’d made it before, she said, and had marked it as a keeper. Indeed it was. It’s stuffed with Italian sausage, fresh spinach, Pecorino cheese and pine nuts. The recipe came from a 





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