California Farm Charcoal Grilled Leg of Lamb
American lamb is meat from sheep under two years old. Born in early spring, we prefer second year lambs because they eat more green grass second winter. The more green grass, the more tender and bigger the lambs will be.
A first year leg of lamb is about five pounds, and ten or more pounds after the second winter. To keep the tender young lamb taste of the meat, we marinade the leg of lamb overnight in full milk, mild garlic and fresh rosemary.
If you like to serve your leg of lamb woth both medium rare and well done meat, here is the recipe. When you barbecue with the bone in, you get more juicy medium rare meat than if the bone is removed before the grilling.
California Farm Charcoal Grilled Leg of Lamb
American lamb is meat from sheep under two years old. Born in early spring, we prefer second year lambs because they eat more green grass second winter. The more green grass, the more tender and bigger the lambs will be.
A first year leg of lamb is about five pounds, and ten or more pounds after the second winter. To keep the tender young lamb taste of the meat, we marinade the leg of lamb overnight in full milk, mild garlic and fresh rosemary.
If you like to serve your leg of lamb woth both medium rare and well done meat, here is the recipe. When you barbecue with the bone in, you get more juicy medium rare meat than if the bone is removed before the grilling.
Cooking Instructions
- 1
Bring leg of lamb to room temperature, cover with milk, rosemary, and garlic, marinade overnight. Dry, rub with olive oil. Then rub with cracked pepper and coarse seasalt.
- 2
A full chimney of charcoal holds 100 briquettes of charcoal, about 4 pounds. Make bed of full chimney of burning natural lump charcoal on the grill. Put your oiled grill over the coals. With the lid closed and grill airvents half open, you create an even hot bed of coals, 450F to 500F degrees, for three to four hours, without having to refill.
- 3
When bed of charcoal is heating evenly, lay oiled leg of lamb on oiled grill, inside fat side down, insert thermometer, regulate air intake to medium flow, grill leg of lamb till internal temperature next to the bone reaches 145F degrees for medium rare, about 3 hours. Add a twig of rosemary to the coals for extra flavor. Spray coals with water if dripping fat of the lamb catches fire.
- 4
Keep airvents closed halfways till fully cooked. When internal temperature reaches 145F degrees, cut leg in half lengthwise along the bone, put one half back on grill till well done, another half hour. Let medium rare half rest half an hour on cutting board with drip ledge to finish internal cooking.
- 5
Butterfly the lamb by running knife along the bone. Remove bone, set aside for lamb stew later. Slice medium rare in half inch thick slabs across the grain, put on warm serving platter. Chunk well done meat. To make the mint gravy, bring chopped mint leaves to boil with cup of red wine, add balsamic vinegar, lamb juices, Tbs corn starch in 3 Tbs cold water and Tbs horse radish, serve over sliced lamb. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Enjoy. Leftovers freeze well.
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