Leg Of Lamb, North Indian Style

Name: Leg Of Lamb, North Indian Style
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 large onion, peeled; 4 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 inch-long piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds (if you have pods, crush and remove seeds); 6 whole cloves; 1 tablespoon cumin seeds; 1 3-inch-long cinnamon stick; 10 black peppercorns; 2 dried small red chilies, or 2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes, or to taste, optional; 1 butterflied leg of lamb, 3 to 4 pounds; Salt

By Mark Bittman

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(42)
Comments: Read comments

Lamb has a lot of flavor, and stands up to strong spices brilliantly. Here is a recipe for boneless leg of lamb that you could grill, broil or roast in a hot oven. Regardless, the result is a crisp, crunchy and highly seasoned exterior with a tender, sweet interior. Even better, because the boned leg is invariably irregular in thickness, the meat will be cooked to different stages of doneness. If, for example, you cook it so that the thickest part of the meat reaches 125 degrees (rare), the thinner parts will vary from medium rare to nearly well done at the edges. Because lamb also tastes great at all stages of doneness, this will make for a genuine crowd-pleaser.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; Butterflied If Not Free

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

1large onion, peeled
4cloves garlic, peeled
1inch-long piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1teaspoon fennel seeds
1teaspoon cardamom seeds (if you have pods, crush and remove seeds)
6whole cloves
1tablespoon cumin seeds
13-inch-long cinnamon stick
10black peppercorns
2dried small red chilies, or 2 teaspoons dried red chili flakes, or to taste, optional
1butterflied leg of lamb, 3 to 4 pounds
Salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Combine onion, garlic and ginger in food processor and grind to paste. Press through fine strainer to extract liquid; discard liquid. Toast spices in small skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Grind in spice mill or coffee grinder until very fine.
Step 2
Trim lamb of fat; sprinkle with salt. Combine spices and onion mix, and rub over meat. Poke small holes in lamb and stick some of the mixture into each one. If time allows, fold meat in half, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for a day.
Step 3
Start charcoal or wood fire or heat gas grill or broiler; fire should be quite hot, and the rack at least 4 inches from heat. Grill or broil until nicely browned, even a little charred, on both sides, about 20 minutes, until internal temperature at the thickest part is about 125 degrees. Some will be rare, some nearly well done. Let rest for 5 minutes and slice thinly.

Ratings

4 out of 5

42 user ratings

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Comments

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BayCook1 year ago

I have made this a million times, with both butterflied leg of lamb and bone-in leg. It is always exceptional. It even made a convert of a friend who swears he hates lamb--but he always asks for this recipe. Marinating overnight is crucial. We always grill over charcoal. Be careful toasting the spices: Unless you do it outside, pull it off the heat the moment you start to smell the mixed aromas, or else you'll end up coughing as if you just breathed something toxic.

hazelfield7 years ago

Adding a cup,of yogurt to the marinade helps hold it to meat and browns nicely

LindaL7 years ago

Excellent flavor but much of it a little overdone. Next time I will take off the grill at 120 degrees to rest.

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