Basic Grilled Lamb with Rosemary and Thyme

May 16, 2008

I spent nine weeks in Greece last summer on a couple archaeological projects, and the evening of my arrival, in Athens, I ate lamb for the first time. The group and I went to a small restaurant, in Thissio I think, and ordered a couple large plates of lamb, mostly chops. I can’t remember how much we ate, but you ordered by the kilo.

It was good – but the pieces we had were quite fatty, which detracted from the experience a bit. Enough about Greece though, that is all really just a lead in for my recipe: basic grilled lamb.

My family has made lamb twice since I’ve been back from Greece, and I have enjoyed it immensely each time. It has a bold flavor that you don’t find in ‘traditional’ meats (not that lamb isn’t traditional, but people eat it much less often than beef, chicken, pork, etc.). So if you haven’t made lamb in a long time or you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend picking some up and giving it a shot. It is surprisingly easy to cook on the grill without too much worry of overcooking.

You’ll need a couple pounds of boneless leg of lamb (the lamb in the picture is more like five pounds, but I didn’t grill it all). Also have ready thyme, rosemary, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and fresh lemon wedges if you have them.

Begin by mixing a tablespoon of olive oil with a medium clove of garlic, minced, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary (1 tbsp. if fresh), 1 teaspoon dried thyme (2 if fresh), and salt and pepper to taste.

Next, take your leg of lamb and trim any fat from the outside. Getting rid of the outside fat will help prevent flare-ups on the grill, but don’t stress over getting it all. A little fat never hurt anyone.

When the fat is trimmed, rub your oil and spice mixture all over your leg of lamb, including the cracks. Once it is rubbed in nice and well, let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Feel free to put it in the fridge at this time. Wash up and about 10-15 minutes before the lamb is ready, turn on your grill to a medium-high.

After the lamb has rested and the grill is hot, simply place the leg on the grill and watch the magic happen. You’ll want to grill it approximately 20-30 minutes, flipping once in the middle.

I grilled mine the whole time with the lid open, so that works pretty well if your grill is hot enough. If you have an instant read thermometer, a reading of 125 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part will give you a rare middle. I let mine go to around 135 degrees. When you take it off the grill, let it rest for five minutes, then cut and serve with the lemon wedges.

Preferences and Tips

• I learned that lamb stays very moist, even in the medium to well done range. With a large piece of lamb you will get varying degrees of doneness (just make sure the least done is still cooked!), and they all are juicy and tender.
• Lamb has a fairly strong flavor, so be wary if you are serving it to guests – some may not be pleased.
• Go ahead and de-fat the whole leg, even if you aren’t going to cook it all. It will be easier for next time.
• Don’t forget to offer the fat and bones to Zeus, Athena, or your god of choice.

Printable Recipe

Equipment

• Two knives (one boning preferably)
• Cutting board
• Bowl
• Grill
• Tongs
• Instant read thermometer (helpful, but not required)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tsp. dried rosemary (1 tbsp. fresh)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme (2 tsp. fresh)
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges

Recipe

1. Mix the olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary together in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut away the fat from your piece of lamb, then rub thoroughly with the oil and herb mixture. Let this rest for 30-60 minutes.
3. 15 minutes before the lamb is done resting, heat your grill to medium-high.
4. When the lamb and grill are ready, place the lamb on the grill and cook for 20-30 minutes, flipping half way through, with the top open. You may need to turn the grill down a little bit part way through. A temperature of 125 degrees at the thickest point will give you a rare middle. I recommend going a slightly bit past that.
5. When the lamb is done, let it rest for five minutes then serve with lemon wedges.

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