Butterflied Lamb Leg Cilantro Chestnut Prosciutto Asiago Recipes

BROILED AND SLOW-ROASTED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH CUMIN AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Mix oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano; spread paste on both sides of the lamb and let stand for an hour until meat comes to room temperature.
• Adjust oven rack to upper or upper-middle position (depending on lamb's thickness) and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes.
• Place lamb, cut side up, on a large wire rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil, moving pan so entire surface browns evenly, about 8 minutes. Turn lamb over; continue to broil until well browned on the other side, about 8 minutes longer. Turn off broiler, remove lamb from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the lamb; return it to the oven. Roast for a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour, until thermometer registers a rosy-pink 140 degrees. Check lamb several times after 30 minutes. If lamb gets done sooner, simply turn down oven to 170 degrees until ready to serve.
• As soon as lamb comes out of the oven, squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Carve, slicing across the grain when possible. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with accumulated juices, and serve.

BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH LEMON SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Pat lamb dry with paper towels and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Season all over with salt and pepper.
• Set aside 1 teaspoon of the garlic. In a bowl, combine remaining garlic with thyme, oregano or marjoram, cumin, chile, lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon oil, just enough to create a sandy paste. Rub mixture all over lamb. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 1 hour or, even better, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Prepare the salsa verde: In a small bowl, combine a pinch of salt, the remaining teaspoon garlic, remaining 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, mint and scallion and stir well. Drizzle in remaining oil. Season with more preserved lemon, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and mellow.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Roast lamb without turning for 22 to 35 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 120 degrees for rare and 130 for medium. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the salsa verde.

BUTTERFLIED LAMB LEG, CILANTRO, CHESTNUT, PROSCIUTTO, ASIAGO

Steps:

• Prepare the Head of Garlic: Slice top off garlic head; remove loose outer skin.
• Drizzle 1 tbsp Avocado oil over garlic.
• Roast in hot oven, until skin is golden brown.
• Allow to cool, then squeeze out roasted cloves, and crush with a fork; the aroma will excite you.
• Add to all other Marinade ingredients, and blend well; please note total preparation time includes overnight marinating.
• Prepare the Lamb: Pound the Lamb to approximately one-half its original thickness; Pour Marinade over Lamb; cover and allow to Marinate overnight; turn from time to time, for thorough marination.
• Next Day: Preheat oven to 350 F -.
• Remove the Lamb from the Marinade; Gently scrape off Marinade vegetables and set aside for future use.
• Drain liquid through sieve, and squeeze all juices through; set this liquid aside for deglazing pan; put the marinade vegetables aside to be used for the stuffing.
• Stuff the Lamb as follows: To the Chestnut puree, add one-half the vegetables from the Marinade, and mix to blend; you want to create a spreadable "butter"; if necessary, mix in little oil to help the spreading; you may not need it, the Herbs will be quite moist.
• "Butter" the Lamb with chestnut mixture; be sure you use all of this mix.
• Lay the Prosciutto slices lengthwise on the Chestnut mixture; spread out and press down gently.
• Lay the 4 whole Cilantro Roots across the Prosciutto, and press down gently.
• Lay the Asiago slices lengthwise on the Cilantro Roots and press down gently.
• Spread the balance of the marinade vegetables over the Asiago slices and press down gently into the cheese.
• Starting at the narrow end, roll the meat tightly; tie well with butcher's twine, three or four strings across and one lengthwise to keep the meat together.
• Cook the Lamb as follows: In 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil, saute the sliced garlic until golden brown. Discard garlic, you won't be using it again.
• In the oil, and saute pan, brown the rolled lamb on all sides, including the ends; you will have to hold it in place; do not puncture the meat, you will lose flavourful juices.
• Tuck in the two sprigs of Fresh Rosemary under the string and roast in an uncovered pan; discard the rosemary sprigs when the meat has finished roasting. Cook prepared lamb in 350F oven about 20 minutes per lb. fully stuffed.
• Deglaze the pan in the usual way, using liquid from the marinade.
• Slice the rolled lamb with string intact to keep dressing in place; remove the string after slicing meat.

ASIAN BARBEQUED BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, mix hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, green onions, mushroom soy sauce, garlic, honey, sesame oil, sesame seeds, white pepper, and black pepper. Place lamb in bag, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Oil the grill grate. Place lamb on the grill, and discard marinade. Cook 15 minutes on each side, to a minimum internal temperature 145°F (63°C), or to desired doneness. Transfer meat to a serving platter, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
• FOOTNOTE:.
• Hoisin sauce, also called Peking sauce, is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chile peppers and various spices. It can be found in Asian markets and many large supermarkets. Look in the Asian or ethnic section. If this item is not in stock at your local store, ask your grocer to special order it for you. Most grocers will be happy to do this for their customers.