Crushed-Herb Lamb
Notes: For carving, select a leg of lamb with an exposed shank bone. It makes a great handle. Slice the meat parallel to the bone. Outside slices will be well done, and the center rare.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Trim and discard fat and any transparent membrane from surface of lamb.
Step 2
2
Peel garlic and shallots and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slivers. Pierce lamb all over with the tip of a small knife and insert garlic and shallots into cuts (lamb will look like a porcupine). Also tuck 2 teaspoons rock salt into cuts, spacing evenly over meat.
Step 3
3
Mix thyme, rosemary, pepper, and olive oil. Pat mixture all over the lamb.
Step 4
4
If cooking over charcoal briquets, ignite 60 briquets on firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. When coals are dotted with gray, about 25 minutes, push an equal number of coals to opposite sides of grate. Add 5 briquets to each mound of coals. Put a foil drip pan between coals. Set grill in place.
Step 5
5
If using a gas barbecue, turn heat to high and close lid for at least 10 minutes. Adjust burners for indirect grilling (heat on parallel sides of grill but not in center). Set a drip pan between burners and put grill in place.
Step 6
6
Put lamb on grill over drip pan, but not directly over heat. Cover barbecue; open all vents. (If cooking over charcoal, after 30 minutes add 5 more briquets to each mound of coals.) Cook until a meat thermometer inserted through thickest part of meat to bone registers 125° for rare (1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes), or 135° for medium-rare (about 1 hour and 10 to 30 minutes).
Step 7
7
Transfer meat to a platter and let rest 10 minutes. Carve, and salt to taste.
Ingredients
1 leg of lamb (5 1/2 to 5 3/4 lb.)
6 cloves garlic
2 shallots (about 1 oz. each)
About 2 teaspoons rock salt or kosher salt
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh-ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Step 1
1
Trim and discard fat and any transparent membrane from surface of lamb.
Step 2
2
Peel garlic and shallots and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slivers. Pierce lamb all over with the tip of a small knife and insert garlic and shallots into cuts (lamb will look like a porcupine). Also tuck 2 teaspoons rock salt into cuts, spacing evenly over meat.
Step 3
3
Mix thyme, rosemary, pepper, and olive oil. Pat mixture all over the lamb.
Step 4
4
If cooking over charcoal briquets, ignite 60 briquets on firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. When coals are dotted with gray, about 25 minutes, push an equal number of coals to opposite sides of grate. Add 5 briquets to each mound of coals. Put a foil drip pan between coals. Set grill in place.
Step 5
5
If using a gas barbecue, turn heat to high and close lid for at least 10 minutes. Adjust burners for indirect grilling (heat on parallel sides of grill but not in center). Set a drip pan between burners and put grill in place.
Step 6
6
Put lamb on grill over drip pan, but not directly over heat. Cover barbecue; open all vents. (If cooking over charcoal, after 30 minutes add 5 more briquets to each mound of coals.) Cook until a meat thermometer inserted through thickest part of meat to bone registers 125° for rare (1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes), or 135° for medium-rare (about 1 hour and 10 to 30 minutes).
Step 7
7
Transfer meat to a platter and let rest 10 minutes. Carve, and salt to taste.
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