Grilled Greek Leg of Lamb

We spent three days testing recipes for leg of lamb, see some pictures at the end of this post. We roasted, grilled and marinated; with vegetables and without. We even invited ten friends to test two separate versions and in the end the marinated, grilled, butterflied leg of lamb was the clear winner. So next time you buy a leg of lamb that’s all neatly tied in a net, grab a pair of scissor and snip away. Once you’ve freed the leg grab a sharp knife trim away the fat, butterfly the leg into evenly thick pieces, create our epic marinade and fire up your grill and don’t forget to invite your friends! Left overs make great tacos. Serve with Greek Lemon Potatoes and Yogurt Mint Sauce.

Combine oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a seal-able plastic bag. Add lamb and seal bag, pressing out air. Turn bag to coat lamb, then put bag in a shallow baking pan and marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight. The lamb will slightly change color as the marinade penetrates the meat.

About 1 hour, before grilling, remove lamb from marinade (discard marinade). Bring lamb to room temperature. Salt and Pepper the lamb on both sides.

Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Take half an onion and dip it in vegetable or other high-heat oil. Rub the onion over the entire surface of the hot grill. This will oil the grill and also add flavor.

Grill turning over occasionally and, if necessary, moving around on grill to avoid flare-ups, until thermometer registers 125 to 128°F, 10 to 15 minutes total for medium-rare or refer to the guide for desired temperature.

Grill lemon wedges during the last few minutes while cooking the lamb, until lightly charred on both sides.

Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Let lamb stand, loosely covered with foil, 20 minutes. (Internal temperature will rise to 135°F while meat stands.) Cut across the grain into slices.

Here are some pictures of the two roasted recipes we tried. Greek with roasted garlic (first vertical row), we created an herb and roasted garlic mixture and roasted with sliced lemons on top, sadly it was bland and lacked flavor. Greek with red wine garlic and potatoes (second vertical row), was marinaded in herbs, garlic, lemon and red wine, overnight. Then rubbed with herbs and roasted with potato wedges. The flavor was deep but the the red wine changed the texture of the lamb and it just lacked something.

Grilled Greek Leg of Lamb

If you are not able to grill the lamb, simply marinate flat, without butterflying, truss/tie and roast.

• Prep Time: 24 hours
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 24 hours 30 minutes

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Greek or Mediterranean), crumbled to release oils (Greek seasoning containing, oregano, mint and dried onion can be used in place of the oregano alone)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1–4 1/2 to 5-lb butterflied boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat
• 2 lemons cut into four wedges each

Instructions

1. Combine oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a seal-able plastic bag. Add lamb and seal bag, pressing out air. Turn bag to coat lamb, then put bag in a shallow baking pan and marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, at least 8 hours or overnight. The lamb will slightly change color as the marinade penetrates the meat.
2. About 1 hour, before grilling, remove lamb from marinade (discard marinade). Bring lamb to room temperature. Salt and Pepper the lamb on both sides.
3. Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Take half an onion and dip it in vegetable or other high-heat oil. Rub the onion over the entire surface of the hot grill. This will oil the grill and also add flavor.
4. Grill turning over occasionally and, if necessary, moving around on grill to avoid flare-ups, until thermometer registers 125 to 128°F, 10 to 15 minutes total for medium-rare or refer to the guide for desired temperature.
5. Grill lemon wedges during the last few minutes while cooking the lamb, until lightly charred on both sides.
6. Transfer lamb to a cutting board. Let lamb stand, loosely covered with foil, 20 minutes. (Internal temperature will rise to 135°F while meat stands.) Cut across the grain into slices.

Notes

Leg of Lamb Temperature Guide

Medium-rare (130-135°F)

Medium (140-145°F)

Medium Well (150-155°)

Well (160°F)

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 10

Here are some pictures of the two roasted recipes we tried. Greek with roasted garlic (first vertical row), we created an herb and roasted garlic mixture and roasted with sliced lemons on top, sadly it was bland and lacked flavor. Greek with red wine garlic and potatoes (second vertical row),  was marinaded in herbs, garlic, lemon and red wine, overnight. Then rubbed with herbs and roasted with potato wedges. The flavor was deep but the the red wine changed the texture of the lamb and it just lacked something.