Grilled or Roast Leg of Lamb with Thyme and Orange
How wonderful is the marriage between thyme and lamb? So wonderful that this dish conjures up visions of Greeks spit-roasting lamb or goat on rocky hills above the sea, basting it with branches of thyme dipped in olive oil. (Which is not a bad recipe itself, especially if you have the rocky hills and sea.) This lamb is lovely with a rice dish or simply with bread. Note, interestingly, that this recipe is virtually the same as the one that follows—except the flavors are distinctly different. Under many circumstances, I would have made one a variation of the other, but it would have seemed, in this case, to give one or the other short shrift. They’re both great. Other cuts of meat you can use here: thick cuts of “London broil” or flank steak.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 or more servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Start a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; the fire should be quite hot and the rack at least 4 inches from the heat source. Trim the lamb of any excess fat and, if any parts seem overly thick, make a horizontal cut in the meat so they lie fairly flat. Strip the thyme leaves from the stems and mince them with the garlic and orange zest (a small food processor will handle this well); combine with the pepper and a healthy pinch of salt. Use a thin-bladed knife to poke some holes in the lamb and stick a little bit of the mixture into each of them; rub the meat with that which remains.
Step 2
Grill or broil the meat until it is nicely browned, even a little charred, on both sides, 20 to 30 minutes, and the internal temperature at the thickest part is about 125°F; this will give you some lamb that is quite rare as well as some that is nearly well done. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly, as you would a thick steak.
