Leg of Lamb with Mint Chimichurri
I love to make leg of lamb all year long, but, when the spring comes, I love to combine it with the fresh spring flavor of mint. My favorite methods of cooking it are either in the sous vide or on the grill, rotisserie style. Lamb can also be roasted in the oven or cooked on the grill without the rotisserie! I’ve done them all at one time or another and they are all delicious! Don’t be afraid of the mint chimichurri! It is a perfect marriage with the lamb and really complements the flavors! If you really don’t like mint, you can always substitute my regular chimichurri.
Ingredients:
Lamb:
1 boneless leg of lamb, trimmed
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced (if dried, use about 1 tablespoon of ground rosemary. Be sure to grind it in a coffee/spice grinder before using)
1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
butcher’s twine to tie it up into a roast
Mint Chimichurri:
1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
1 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 red fresno chile or 1 serano chile
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup good quality olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Trim boneless leg of lamb. I leave most of the exterior fat in place as it adds flavor and can easily be removed later. Inside, try to remove large pockets of fat and connective tissue before cooking.
Put garlic, salt and rosemary into a mortar and smash with a pestle into a paste. If you do not have mortar & pestle just mix in a bowl.
Lay out your trimmed leg of lamb and season liberally with your garlic, rosemary and salt paste.
Roll the leg of lamb so that it lays in a fairly evenly distributed roast and tie with butcher’s twine
Roast or Sous vide your lamb. Here are the parameters that I use:
Sous Vide: 135 degrees for 8 -10 hours, then sear all sides on the highest heat on the grill
Roast : 275 degrees until it reaches 125 to 130, then remove roast, raise temperature in oven to 500 and then put back in for about 10 minutes to crisp the outside.
Grill: Rotisserie or directly on the grill, cook over indirect medium heat until the center of the lamb reaches 135 on an instant read thermometer
While the lamb is cooking, prepare the chimichurri.
Place mint, parsley, garlic and chile into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add lemon juice and pulse once or twice again
Add oil and pulse a few more times to desired consistency
Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and set aside to allow the flavors to come together while the lamb finishes. If you want more heat, adjust by adding crushed red chilis
When the lamb has come to temperature, remove it from heat and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Slice, serve with chimichurri and enjoy!