BBQd Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Honey

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S. Kenney - BBQ'd Leg of Lamb

I had another great class at Williams Sonoma on Saturday.  We ate some delicious bbq grilled steak and sausages.  That definitely put me in the mood to cook any kind of meat dish.  My brother and his family came for a visit during Spring Break.  They are wonderful company and we all had a super time.  My SIL is taking some fabulous cooking courses through Viking School in Mississippi so I wanted to make something special for all of us.  I turned to my trusty Curtis Stone's program "Take Home Chef" and found just the right meat dish - Barbequed Leg of Lamb stuffed with garlic.  

After braising the lamb on the stove top, it is covered in a thick layer of honey.  Messy indeed but fun!  Then, garlic cloves are smashed and stuffed on the inside.  The lamb is laid on rosemary stems and rolled up with twine.  Just preparing this was so aromatic I knew it was going to taste delicious.  Honey, garlic, rosemary??  Wonderful scents already...

S.Kenney-BBQ'd Leg of Lamb with garlic and rosemary

Lamb is so aromatic cooking on the grill.  I think the entire neighborhood could smell this delicious scented roast from our backyard.  

I will shamelessly  highlight a new item that I purchased at that Williams Sonoma class!  It is an instant read thermometer.  It is magical indeed.  I kept inserting it periodically into the leg of lamb.  It instantly reads the temperature.  I was able to pull that meat off at just the right time in order for it to rise  a little more while cooling.

I would definitely cook this again.  The scents are divine, the cut of lamb isn't too lamb-y.  I scooped out the garlic and served it with the juices from the meat.  

My brother and his wife are a lovely couple with 2 bright and fun teenage boys.  I love bringing everyone around the table with a succulent meal like this one.

Barbequed Leg of Lamb wrapped in Rosemary with Garlic and Honey

Take Home Chef, Episode 20: Deanna's Menu

INGREDIENTS

20 large branches fresh long-stemmed rosemary

Six 24-inch/60-cm long strands of kitchen twine

One 6-pound/2.5-kg whole leg of lamb, large bone removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, bruised (I used more because I love garlic)

1/4 cup/90 ml honey

PREPARATION:

Soak the rosemary branches and kitchen twine in cold water for 1 hour. This will help prevent the rosemary and twine from burning while they are on the grill.  Prepare the barbecue for high heat. Sprinkle the leg of lamb generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Grill the leg of lamb for 5 minutes, or until brown on all sides. Transfer the lamb to a baking sheet. Rub the garlic over the outside of the lamb then place the garlic pieces inside the lamb.  Lay the strands of kitchen twine horizontally across a work surface, spacing them evenly apart.  Lay the rosemary branches perpendicularly atop the twine.

Spread half of the honey over 1 side of the lamb and lay the lamb honey side down atop the rosemary. Spread the remaining honey over the top and sides of the lamb. The honey will help adhere the rosemary to the lamb.  Tie the twine as tightly as possible around the lamb and rosemary, completely encasing the lamb with the rosemary. 

Decrease the heat of the barbecue to medium so that the temperature inside the barbecue is about 350°F/170°C (use an oven thermometer to help gauge the temperature inside the barbecue).  Place the lamb on the grill.  Cover the barbecue and grill the lamb about 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning the lamb on a regular basis, or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 140°F/60°C when inserted into the thickest part of the lamb meat.

Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.  Remove the twine and rosemary from the lamb.  Carve the lamb into slices and serve with any juices that accumulate on the carving board.