Preparing a leg of lamb is an art form that requires both skill and patience. As a centerpiece for any special occasion, it demands attention to detail and a deep understanding of the cooking process. Butterflying a leg of lamb is a technique that transforms this classic cut into a masterpiece, allowing for even cooking and maximum flavor absorption. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of butterflying a leg of lamb, providing step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and delectable recipe ideas to ensure a successful and unforgettable culinary experience. Unlock the secrets of this timeless cooking technique and elevate your culinary skills to new heights.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB - WITH ATTITUDE!
This is an easy - cook it in an hour - recipe for a boneless butterflied leg of lamb. This recipe can be adapted for bone-in leg of lamb - just adjust for the size of the piece of meat. For a different taste, replace curry powder with 1 tbs dijon mustard. Different effect, but same base. I developed this recipe while just playing around in the kitchen one day - wanting to give my lamb a subtle kick without taking it over the top. This has become an absolute family favorite.
Provided by GMSnowshoe
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 55m
Yield 2-3 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 (or prepare grill if you prefer). Lay out butterflied leg of lamb - fat side down - on a pan with a rack.
- Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and lightly coat both sides of the meat. Bake on center rack of oven for 50 minutes for rare, 1 hour for medium, or to your preference. Medium rare to medium for best taste.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 864.9, Fat 46.4, SaturatedFat 13.4, Cholesterol 285.8, Sodium 2115.1, Carbohydrate 13.2, Fiber 2.2, Sugar 0.4, Protein 95.4
BUTTERFLIED, BARBECUED LEG OF LAMB
This sounds perfect for my Australia Day menu.You can cut down on the prep time by asking your butcher to bone and butterfly the leg.
Provided by Fairy Nuff
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 32m
Yield 1 leg of lamb, 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Mix garlic, paprika, oregano, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and oil in a dish large enough to accommodate the butterflied lamb (or use a snaplock bag -- much easier).
- Score the fatty top of the lamb well.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Put lamb in marinade and refrigerate for three hours minimum (overnight is tastier).
- Remove from fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it.
- Preheat your barbecue grill on high then reduce to medium high. Place the lamb skin side down for 10 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Cover lamb with either bbq hood or an upturned baking tray. Cook for 15 minutes for medium or longer if you like your lamb well done.
- Remove from heat and cover loosely with foil, rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Slice across the grain and serve.
BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB: SEARED, THEN SLOW, FOR PERFECT DONENESS
Grilled butterflied leg of lamb, inspired by Dad Cooks Dinner and Saveur,
Provided by Martin
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat your grill and prepare it for two-zone cooking or, as in our case, have a deflector plate of some kind handy to provide indirect heat when the time comes.
- Butterfly the lamb leg by flopping it as wide open as you can and cutting parallel to the cutting board through the thicker muscles, just leaving them attached enough to stay a part of the whole. Again, you can have your butcher do it if you like.
- Prepare the seasoning rub by combining the mint leaves (plucked from the tough stems), parsley, coarsely chopped onion, vinegar, chili, black pepper, and olive oil in a blender and blending until you have a smooth paste. Add more oil if necessary to make a loose, smearable paste.
- Score the fat cap on the lamb if there is one, by cutting a cross-hatch into the fat, trying not to cut the meat underneath it.
- Season the lamb generously with kosher salt, then apply the mint rub and work it into all the creases and nooks.
- Move to the grill and cook the leg of lamb for about five minutes per side, until the exterior is nicely browned and there are some charred bits on it.
- Move the meat to the indirect-heat side of the grill or change your grill setup for indirect heat.
- If there is any herb rub left from before, smear it on now.
- Use the air probe from your Smoke X2 to monitor the heat, and try to maintain a temperature of about 250°F (121°C). If you're not using a gas-powered grill, Billows will help a lot!
- Insert the meat probe from the Smoke X2 into the lamb and set the high-temp alarm for 130-135°F (54-57°C) for medium-rare lamb.
- Close the lid and cook, about 60-70 minutes, until the alarm sounds. Verify the doneness with your Thermapen and remove the meat from heat to rest.
- Carve and serve to great admiration.
GRILLED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB
A butterflied leg of lamb, which cooks quickly and evenly on the grill, has been split down the center, then unfolded and spread open to resemble a butterfly.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Lamb Recipes
Time 2h
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place lamb in a large shallow dish with marinade, and turn to coat. Cover; marinate 1 hour at room temperature or up to overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally. (Bring to room temperature before grilling.)
- Heat grill to medium-high. Thread several metal skewers through lamb in both directions to hold meat together during cooking.
- Grill lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 140 degrees for medium rare, 10 to 15 minutes per side. Let the meat rest, covered, about 10 minutes. Remove the skewers. Slice the meat thinly, against the grain where possible.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 271 g, Fat 13 g, Protein 35 g
BUTTERFLIED HERB-ROASTED LEG OF LAMB
Butterflied herb roasted leg of lamb. The rich, succulent flavor of lamb is enhanced with a herb rub of rosemary, mint and garlic then roasted in a hot oven.
Provided by Pat Nyswonger
Categories Main Dish
Time 2h5m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and unroll it on the cutting board. With a sharp knife trim off the excess fat and any gristle.
- To make the lamb the same thickness, butterfly-book the thick parts by making shallow diagonal slices and pressing the slices open like pages in a book.
- Then lightly score the the meat in a 1-inch crosshatch. Place the lamb on an oil-sprayed wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
- To a small dish add the mashed anchovies, and the chopped garlic, mint and rosemary. Stir in the salt and olive oil.
- Rub the herb mixture over the prepared lamb, working the mixture into all the cuts and crevices. Let the lamb rest for an hour on the counter top to come to room temperature and absorb the herb flavor.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F Transfer the baking sheet with lamb still on the wire rack and roast the lamb for 25-35 minutes, depending on desired doneness. For medium-rare an instant-read thermometer will register 125 to 130°F
- Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 563 calories, Carbohydrate 1 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 176 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 39 grams fat, Fiber 0 grams fiber, Protein 49 grams protein, SaturatedFat 14 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 3 oz., Sodium 490 grams sodium, Sugar 0 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 22 grams unsaturated fat
BROILED AND SLOW-ROASTED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH CUMIN AND GARLIC
Who says making a feast has to take forever? For large gatherings like Passover and Easter, leg of lamb is the roast of choice, and arranged on a platter garnished with herbs, it makes a stunning centerpiece. Buying leg of lamb butterflied from the butcher will leave you time to socialize while it is slow-roasting without worrying about uneven cooking.
Provided by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Leg
Yield 14
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Mix oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano; spread paste on both sides of the lamb and let stand for an hour until meat comes to room temperature.
- Adjust oven rack to upper or upper-middle position (depending on lamb's thickness) and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes.
- Place lamb, cut side up, on a large wire rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil, moving pan so entire surface browns evenly, about 8 minutes. Turn lamb over; continue to broil until well browned on the other side, about 8 minutes longer. Turn off broiler, remove lamb from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the lamb; return it to the oven. Roast for a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour, until thermometer registers a rosy-pink 140 degrees. Check lamb several times after 30 minutes. If lamb gets done sooner, simply turn down oven to 170 degrees until ready to serve.
- As soon as lamb comes out of the oven, squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Carve, slicing across the grain when possible. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with accumulated juices, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 336.4 calories, Carbohydrate 2.2 g, Cholesterol 105.6 mg, Fat 22.8 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 29.5 g, SaturatedFat 8.4 g, Sodium 493.5 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
HERBED AND BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB
Provided by Nigella Lawson
Categories dinner, roasts, main course
Time 1h
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- With a mortar and pestle, lightly crush peppercorns and coriander seeds. Transfer to a small bowl, and add olive oil, salt and garlic. Finely grate lemon peel, and add to mixture. Cut lemon into quarters, and squeeze juice into mixture, then add leftover lemon as well.
- Place lamb skin side down in a shallow dish, and press whole rosemary sprigs into scored meat. Pour marinade over meat, pressing lemon pieces into meat. Cover dish with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove lamb from refrigerator, and allow to sit at room temperature while oven heats to 425 degrees. Place lamb skin side up in a roasting pan, keeping lemon pieces and rosemary pressed into underside.
- Roast 35 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of lamb registers 145 degrees (for medium-well lamb), or adjust cooking time as desired. When cooked to taste, remove lamb from oven, and allow to rest in pan for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 608, UnsaturatedFat 27 grams, Carbohydrate 2 grams, Fat 46 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 44 grams, SaturatedFat 16 grams, Sodium 523 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams
ROASTED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a heavy-duty zipper storage bag, combine the onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, orange juice, thyme, and rosemary and mix well.
- Place the leg of lamb in the marinade, seal the bag, and turn to coat. Massage the meat through the bag for a bit to help the marinade penetrate and coat all the meat evenly. Put the storage bag into a large roasting pan and marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the lamb from the marinade and place it in a shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast the lamb, uncovered, for 50 to 70 minutes, basting it with the marinade several times during the process. Cook until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 145 F (for medium-rare) or 150 F (for medium) when inserted in the thickest part of the meat. For safety reasons, the lamb needs to be cooked to a minimum of 145 F.
- Remove the lamb from the oven, cover with foil, and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
- Carve the lamb into slices against the grain. Plate, drizzle with the juices from the pan, and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 536 kcal, Carbohydrate 1 g, Cholesterol 176 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 49 g, SaturatedFat 14 g, Sodium 403 mg, Sugar 0 g, Fat 36 g, ServingSize 1 leg of lamb (serves 10-12), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
Tips for Butterflying a Leg of Lamb:
- Choose a sharp, sturdy knife for the job.
- Make sure your cutting board is large enough to accommodate the leg of lamb.
- Trim any excess fat from the leg of lamb before you begin butterflying it.
- Start by making a cut along the length of the leg of lamb, about 1 inch from the bone.
- Carefully slice through the meat, keeping the knife close to the bone.
- Once you reach the end of the leg of lamb, flip it over and make a similar cut on the other side.
- Gently open up the leg of lamb like a book.
- Use a meat mallet to pound the leg of lamb to an even thickness.
- Season the leg of lamb with your favorite herbs and spices.
- Cook the leg of lamb according to your desired method.
Conclusion:
Butterflying a leg of lamb is a great way to prepare this delicious cut of meat. By following the tips above, you can easily butterfly a leg of lamb at home. Once butterflied, the leg of lamb can be cooked in a variety of ways, including roasting, grilling, or braising. No matter how you choose to cook it, a butterflied leg of lamb is sure to be a hit at your next meal.
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