Sunday, April 09, 2006

Charcoal Broiled Leg of Lamb

I'd rather have lamb than roast beef, salmon, or just about any red or white meat or seafood (scallops, halibut, swordfish, shark excepted.)

1 3-5 Pound sirloin leg of lamb
3 TBS olive oil
2 VERY large Garlic buds
Powdered Rosemary
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Charcoal broiler
Charcoal
2 Fatwood sticks
Newspaper

Start your fire about 45-minutes ahead of time. Place several sheets of newspaper in charcoal pan; 2-halved sticks of fatwood, generous amonut of charcoal. Light newspapers from the bottom. Let coals get to the ashy/white stage. If you like the lamb taste as opposed to a charcoal taste as with beef or pork, do NOT charbroil; you will lose much of the wonderful taste of the lamb!! Oven roast it for the delightful taste of the lamb.

Coat roast generously with olive oil. Make small slices in the fat side of the roast and insert thinly sliced garlic buds in the scored roast. If you have a heat-proof meat thermometer, stick it in the roast - AWAY from any bone. Turn or reposition the roast occasionally. Cook for several hours until thermometer reads 150F. For juicy, tender lamb, it should be roasted to NO more than 150F. internal temperature; medium rare - to medium. Save the juices for gravy. After roasting is completed, let the roast sit for 15-minutes before slicing. Save juice. This recipe can also be roasted in the oven at 325F. with peeled, quartered pototoes. (Photo)

GRAVY

3-4 Cups water
2-Chicken bouillion cubes
Drippings from roast after it's been sliced
2 TBS flour
1/4 Cup HOT water.

Dissolve cubes in the 3-4 cups of water.
Mix 1/4 cup hot water with flour
Place all together on a pan, whisk constantly until it thickens.