Ingredients
1 4- pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied*
Rub:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
4T fresh thyme leaves or rosemary
3T olive oil
salt & pepper
Pistou:
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
3 cups basil leaves
½ cup olive oil
salt & pepper
1. *You can ask your butcher to butterfly the boneless leg of lamb for you or you can do it yourself by placing the leg of lamb on a cutting board, using a boning knife to “butterfly” the thickest part of the leg areas so that the overall thickness of the meat is 1 – 1½” thick. If necessary, trim any large pieces of fat off the meat. I then cut the leg into 2 pieces so that it is easier to handle. Set aside.
2. In a bowl of your food processor, while running, add the garlic and process until chopped. Add the parley and herbs; pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and pulse until combined.
3. Spread the rub all over the lamb. Place in a ziplock bag or sealed container. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Approximately 1 ½ hour before want to serve the lamb, Remove the meat from the bag or container, place on a platter and let sit on your counter for 30 minutes. Preheat your BBQ grill.
5. Right before grilling, pat the meat dry using paper towels dry. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place the meat fat side up on the grill over “medium-high” heat. Let the meat achieve a nice sear before flipping it over, about 6 minutes.
7. Flip to the other side. You may need to occasionally flip or turn the meat over if the fat should catch on fire and flare up.
9. Remove from grill and place on platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
8. Continue cooking until the thermometer reads 125º-130º F for medium rare, about and additional 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat and the temperature of your grill.
10. Slice the lamb against the grain i.e. with the knife slicing perpendicular to the direction of the grain in the meat.
11. Place the sliced meat on a platter, and serve with pistou sauce.
12. Pistou: In a bowl of your food processor, while running, add the garlic. Process until chopped, add the parsley and basil, and pulse until finely chopped.
13. Add the olive oil, pulse until smooth, season with salt and pepper. This sauce can be made 4 days ahead, but remove from refrigerator a hour before serving.
TIPS & TRICKS
• If you have the lamb butterflied by the butcher, make sure to ask to have it cut so that the overall thickness of the meat is 1- 1½ inches, this will make the cooking process much easier and insure that the meat is cooked evenly.
• You can make the pistou directly after you make the rub, so that you don’t have to wash the food processor twice.
• Left over grilled lamb makes the most fantastic sandwiches or tacos!