Recipe for "leg-of-lamb-3"

NAME

     LEG-OF-LAMB-3 - Grilled butterflied leg of lamb
     I  devised  this  recipe  after  being  unable  to  find  an
     appropriate  recipe  in  the  library.  It  is  always  well
     received, and it looks impressive far out of  proportion  to
     its  difficulty. Because it is simple and difficult to screw
     up, it is perfect as the centerpiece for a meal with a large
     group  or with complex side dishes. Serve with a hearty rice
     pilaf and a vegetable.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6)

     1         leg of lamb, butterflied and trimmed.
     50 g      rosemary
               black pepper
               green onions
     1 liter   burgundy wine
     500 ml    olive oil
     100 ml    lemon juice
     6         garlic cloves, sliced
     15 ml     oregano
     15 ml     thyme
     200 g     onion, minced

PROCEDURE

          (1)  Carefully trimming the fat from a butterflied  leg
               of  lamb,  and  and  finish the cut, as needed, so
               that the lamb lies flat in a butterfly  shape.   A
               large  butterflied  leg  of lamb should be no more
               than 6 to 8 cm thick.
          (2)  Take a liberal amount of rosemary, crush  it,  and
               rub  it  into  the  lamb.  When crushing it, don't
               turn it into dust, just break  it.  Sprinkle  some
               black pepper on the cut side of the meat.
          (3)  Combine the  remaining  ingredients  (wine,  green
               onions,  olive  oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano,
               thyme, and onion) into a marinade.  Place the lamb
               in a shallow dish or bowl, cover as much as possi-
               ble with the marinade, and marinate  in  a  refri-
               gerator,  covered,  for  4  to  24 hours.  Turn at
               intervals to marinate evenly.
          (4)  Grill over mesquite and charcoal on a grill with a
               tight-fitting  lid,  such  as a Weber. Cook on one
               side for 25 minutes,  occasionally  spooning  some
               leftover  marinade  onto  the  uncooked side, then
               turn and cook about  20  more  minutes.   cooking.
               Make  a small cut in the thickest part of the lamb
               to check for doneness: when the  center  is  still
               pink,  but  not raw, take the lamb off and prepare
               to serve.  Remember that the lamb will continue to
               cook after you take it off the grill.
          (5)  Serve the lamb cut-side  down  (pretty  side  up).
               Garnish with uncooked green onions.

NOTES

     Your butcher can butterfly a leg of lamb for you.  Tell  him
     you will be cooking it flat, and not rolling it back up into
     a roast. Ask him to be careful.

RATING

     Difficulty: easy if you  have  a  good  butcher.   Time:  20
     minutes preparation, overnight marinating, 45 minutes roast-
     ing.  Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

     Steven McGeady
     Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, Oregon, USA
     mcg@omepd.intel.com