Grilled Mesquite-Smoked Garlic Rosemary Lamb

This recipe was updated on 3 Sep 2013. Some instructions and ingredient quantities were changed, and metric measurements added. There is another butterflied leg of lamb recipe using an Asian based marinade which can be found at Grilled Butterflied Lamb Leg.

I couldn’t resist buying a 2 lb. boneless leg of lamb on special at the supermarket (I already had something else planned for dinner). With the bone already removed, the lamb was already butterflied, and all I had to do was remove any excess fat and sinew (don’t remove any outside fat from the lamb). I seasoned the lamb with a rub of olive oil, garlic, and rosemary (from my garden). I grilled the lamb over direct heat to brown it first, and then smoked it with mesquite wood using indirect heat. I left the lamb on the grill a little too long (time has been reduced in the recipe), but it was still very delicious. Leftovers will be made into sandwiches!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2-4 lb.	1-2 kg.	Butterflied leg of lamb
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Olive oil
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic, crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Crushed fresh rosemary
		Salt and pepper to taste

 

Equipment

22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

 

Preparation Instructions

1. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking for one hour if desired. I do not soak my wood in water and use dry wood.
2. Debone and butterfly the leg of lamb, if not already done so. Remove any excess fat and sinew from the leg of lamb. Rub the lamb with the olive oil, crushed garlic, crushed fresh rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking Instructions

1. If using a charcoal grill, place the coals on one half of the grill (hot side), leaving one-half of the grill without any coals (cold side). For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
2. Put the lamb on the hot side of the grill to brown over direct heat for 2 minutes uncovered. Turn the lamb over and brown the other side over direct heat for another 2 minutes uncovered. Move the lamb to the cool side of the grill, cover the grill, and smoke the lamb using indirect heat for 8-10 minutes for medium-rare.
3. Remove the lamb from the grill and let the lamb rest for 10 minutes before slicing.