Leg of lamb, recipes? Tips?

[SVX]

Hi all,

I've just been given the honour (and onerous) task of preparing a whole leg of lamb to cook as part of the family Christmas Day party this year.

I was wondering what the good denizens of FD&R would suggest in terms of marinades, rubs, stuffings etc?

The weather will be hot and humid (we are back in S.A. again); I have a choice to either tunnel bone it, or butterfly it, and can cook it either on a barbecue, spit or in a pizza oven.

Current ideas are to tunnel bone the whole leg and stuff it with bulgar wheat flavoured with gremolata (lemon, garlic, parsley, salt) this I would either spit roast or cook in the pizza oven. Alternatively;

To butterfly the leg, stuff the inside of the meat with shards of garlic and finely chopped rosemary, then marinade overnight with more garlic and olive oil, perhaps a squeeze of lemon then cook over medium coals until pink.

The lamb will have been shot and slaughtered by my uncle-in-law, from his farm near the Limpopo and will have grazed mainly on alfalfa, this gives the meat a distinctive sweet taste - which I don't want to mar with flavour combinations that are too strong.

So ideas? Other options I should think of?

[Mobile Chicane]

I'd go for the butterfly-and-BBQ option, using thyme rather than rosemary for a subtler flavour.

Sounds deeeeelicious though.

[poprock]

Agreed—thyme rather than rosemary and then cook it s-l-o-o-o-o-w-l-y. I’d go with the oven though, as slowly as you can on a very low heat. 48 hours at 50–60ºC would be great.

You seem to have a good idea of what you’re doing anyway. Carry on and enjoy!

[SVX]

Thanks for the suggestions, though a part of me is thinking to go Middle-Eastern and use a lightly spiced rose Harrisa rub...


@MC, I'm planning serving it with a few bottles of 2003 Chateau Musar - Happy Times