BBQ'd Boneless Leg of Lamb

These flavors are so complementary to the taste of lamb – you’ll want this at every BBQ.  The dipping sauce also goes great with all types of red meat infused with that smoky, grilled flavor that we all love.

Serves: 8-10
Time: 1 hour (not counting marinating time)

Ingredients

  • 3-5 lb boneless leg of lamb roast
  • 2 2oz tins of anchovy filets in olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lemon, zest reserved
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced very thin
  • 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only (or 2 tablespoons dried), minced
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • sea salt or Kosher salt

Dipping sauce

  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • juice of one lime
  • ¼ cup green onion, green part only, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh mint, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, thinly sliced
  • 2 local or Thai bird chili peppers, stem removed and thinly sliced

Directions

Start the night before, as this works best if you marinate the lamb overnight.  Trim most of the visible fat from the roast, and cut it up into a few pieces (sized like thick cut steaks). Place the lamb in a sealable plastic bag or container.  Empty the entire contents of the anchovy tin into a bowl, then use a fork to mash up the anchovies with the olive oil. Add all the other ingredients, except for the salt, and mix well.  Pour over the lamb and shake it around so the marinade is well distributed.  Store in the refrigerator, turning the bag or container over at least once to redistribute the marinade.

You can make the dipping sauce ahead of time also, just combine all the ingredients together in a small serving dish.  Depending on how hot you want the sauce to be, you can leave or remove the seeds and membrane of the chili peppers. Remember, that’s where most of the heat is – I usually wear gloves when handling these peppers!

Fire up the grill and cook the lamb over medium heat.  The best way to eat lamb is medium rare – I wouldn’t recommend cooking past medium or you’ll end up disappointed. Press on the steaks with your index finger or tongs – there should be some give.  Remove from the grill and let it rest for 2-5 minutes, then slice it up and watch it disappear!

Recipe created by Personal Chef Michi Harris