Moroccan Style Barbecued Leg Of Lamb Recipes

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB MECHOUI RECIPE

Steps:

• Prep. Have your butcher remove the bone from the leg and cut off about 6-8" of the shank. Freeze the shank for later use. If you get the leg bone still in, you can cut off the shank with a saw and remove the bone with a filleting knife. Remove the thick fat cap, the thin silverskin membrane, and any tendons, sinew, and cartilage while you take the meat apart. I try to remove muscles intact and cut them up into large chunks. Inevitably you will end up with chunks of varying sizes. Group them according to size so you can cook each size for a different lenght of time. Or you can freeze one group for later. Put the meat in a nonreactive pan and cover all surfaces with charmoula. Marinate up to 24 hours if possible. An hour will do, but longer is better.
• Fire up. Preheat the grill as hot as you can get it. Sprinkle the ras el hanout on the meat generously, but not thick.
• Cook. Grill on one side until it releases from the grate easily and gets good grill marks. Roll it onto the opposite side and take the temp of several pieces immediately. Small pieces will cook fast, and grills have hotspots, so test many pieces. Use this Food Temperature Guide to decide when to take it off. I usually pull it at 125-130°F (52-54°C) for rare meat.
• Serve. Serve with couscous and harissa sauce on the side.

MOROCCAN-STYLE BARBECUED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Mix the butter and oil in a bowl, then stir in the spices, thyme, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Add the harissa, 1 tsp salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and mix well.
• Put the butterflied lamb (see step-by-step guide) in a large shallow dish and spoon over the marinade. Using your hands, rub it all over the meat. Cover loosely with foil or cling film and leave to marinate for at least 2 hrs, or overnight in the fridge.
• Light the barbecue, adding plenty of coals. When it is ready, add the lamb, fat-side down, and cook on a fairly high heat for 5 mins until well browned. Turn over and cook for another 5 mins to brown the other side.
• Move the coals to the sides of the barbecue to reduce the heat under the meat and cook more gently for 30-40 mins, turning occasionally. This timing will give you pink meat.
• Remove the meat to a large board and cover tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 10-15 mins.
• For the sauce, fold the harissa, a little salt and the coriander into the yogurt. Cut the lamb into thick slices and serve with the sauce and couscous, if you like.

MOROCCAN GRILLED LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Place the garlic, mint, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon zest, and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely ground. Add the olive oil and pulse to combine.
• Place the chops in one or two non-metal dishes large enough to hold them in one layer. Spread the garlic and herb mixture evenly on both sides. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, Sriracha, and lemon juice, and spread it evenly on the lamb chops. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to marinate for 6 to 24 hours.
• Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals and oil the cooking grate. Sprinkle the lamb with salt and grill 5 to 6 inches above the coals, first with the yogurt side up (marinade and all) for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until medium rare. Transfer to a clean plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the couscous.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and remove from the heat. Cover the pot tightly and allow the couscous to steam for 10 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in the mint and pine nuts. Taste for seasonings and add about 1 teaspoon salt, depending on the saltiness of the stock, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Serve hot.

MOROCCAN MECHOUI (SLOW ROASTED LEG OF LAMB OR SHOULDER)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Trim excess fat from leg of lamb or shoulder, and make a dozen or more deep cuts into meat with tip of a sharp knife.
• Combine butter with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, saffron, turmeric, and olive oil. Spread mixture over entire leg or shoulder of lamb, working some butter into incisions made with knife.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan, and proceed with one of the roasting methods below. Very Slow-Roasting Method: 7 1/2 to 9 Hours This is the preferred Marrakesh method. You can reduce the cooking time to 4 to 5 hours by using a 350 F/180 C oven temperature.
• Preheat oven to 250 F.
• Place lamb in a roasting pan and cover with foil, sealing edges tightly. Roast lamb, basting hourly and resealing foil each time, for 7 to 8 hours, or until juices run clear and meat is tender enough to pinch off the bone.
• Small pieces of lamb, weighing less than 4 pounds might finish cooking in 6 hours. Larger pieces might take closer to 9 hours.
• Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 475 F. Brown lamb, basting frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until meat is well-colored.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, pour juices over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping. Traditional Roasting Method: 3 to 4 Hours When short on time, this method also works well, but the meat won't be quite as tender as the above method. The lamb will, however, have more of a crisp crust, which some Moroccans find desirable.
• Heat oven to 475 F. Add 1/2 cup of water to pan, and roast lamb, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 F and continue roasting lamb, basting occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until meat is tender, juices run clear, and lamb has a dark, crisp crust.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, juices can be poured over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping. Fast Roasting Method: 1 to 2 Hours
• Preheat oven to 475 F. Wrap exposed lower leg of the lamb in foil to prevent burning. Add 1/2 cup of water and a few tablespoons of olive oil to pan, and roast lamb, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours, basting frequently, until lamb is well browned and juices run clear when a knife is inserted deep into meat.
• If meat has browned before juices are clear, cover meat with loose foil to prevent further darkening.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. If desired, juices can be poured over and around lamb. Serve dishes of salt and cumin on the side for dipping.

STUFFED LEG OF LAMB, MIDDLE EASTERN STYLE

Steps:

• Marinade: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon zaatar mix and 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced. Season the trimmed leg of lamb with salt and pepper, to taste, and put it into a resealable plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and seal the bag. Refrigerate and let sit as long as you can, even overnight.
• Light the grill, putting the coals all on 1 side.
• Stuffing: Put the remaining garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the feta and pulse just to break it up, then slowly drizzle in just enough olive oil so the consistency is just barely creamy but not too loose (about 1/4 cup), stopping to scrape down the sides. Add the blanched spinach, 1 tablespoon of the zaatar spice mix, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a little black pepper, and mix until blended but still a little chunky.
• Take the lamb out of the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the inside with lemon zest and fresh thyme, then add a layer of arugula leaves. Carefully spread stuffing over the inside of leg, being careful not to spread it all the way to the edge. Grab the end closest to you and slowly roll the leg up. Tie well with butchers twine. Liberally sprinkle the outside of the lamb with shawarma spice.
• Put the lamb directly over the coals on the hot side of the grill and sear it quickly, until the outside develops a nice crust, maybe 2 minutes per side. Then move the lamb away from the coals, cover the grill and let it cook for 45 minutes or so, checking after 30 minutes and turning several times. When the lamb is done, take it off the grill, put it on a cutting board and let it rest for about 10 minutes. To serve, cut in 1 1/2-inch thick slices, and arrange on a serving platter, making sure to remove any pieces of twine.

ROAST LEG OF LAMB WITH MOROCCAN MARINADE

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from leg of lamb. Make shallow incisions into the leg and insert a garlic sliver in each.
• Combine the spices with oil, lemon juice, minced garlic and fresh coriander to make a paste. Rub the paste over the lamb, place it in a roasting pan, cover and let stand 3 to 4 hours in a cool place or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven 350 degrees. Roast leg of lamb to the desired degree of doneness, basting once or twice during roasting. After about one hour and 10 minutes, internal temperature should be 120 to 125 degrees, medium rare. Allow to rest 10 minutes before carving. Juices can be used to make a gravy if desired. To do so pour fat from roasting pan, add the boiling water and, scraping the pan, cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes. Strain into a sauceboat.

MOROCCAN BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Make the paste: In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, peppercorns and cloves. Shake the pan occasionally, until the spices begin to smoke, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and grind. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the garlic, orange zest, salt and olive oil.
• Spread the leg of lamb flat. Trim the excess fat and sinew from the inside and the outside. With the fat side facing down, use a sharp knife to make several horizontal slits at a 45 degree angle into the thickest parts of the lamb, until the meat is of even thickness. With a meat mallet, pound the lamb to an even thinness of about 1 1/2 inches.
• Spread the spice paste evenly over both sides of the lamb. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or as long as 8 hours.
• Grill the lamb, fat side down first, directly over medium heat, turning once. The lamb will take 15-25 minutes to reach medium rare.
• Remove the lamb from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Carve the meat on a slight diagonal across the grain. Serve warm.

MOROCCAN RIB ROAST OR LEG OF LAMB

Steps:

• Stir together coriander seed, lemon peel, olive oil, cumin, red pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
• Rub surface of rib roast thouroughly with coriander mixture.
• Cut 1/2 inch wide slits randomly into top and sides of roast.
• Insert garlic slivers deep into slits.
• Cover and refrigerate roast for up 24 hours, if desired.
• Prepare grill for indirect grilling.
• Test for medium heat above the drip pan.
• Place roast on the lightly oiled grill rack over drip pan.
• Cover and grill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until an instant read thermoter inserted into the centre of the roast registers 155f degrees for medium doneness.
• Add assorted cut up veggies to grill during the last 45 minutes of cooking, removing setting them aside as they become tender.
• Carve rib roast and serve with grilled veggies.
• If using a leg of lamb, grill for 2 to 3 hours or until thermometer reads 155f degrees for medium doneness.
• Either beef or lamb roast may also be cooked in the oven at 400f degrees until thermometer reads 155f degrees for medium doneness, for approximately the same number of hours.
• Add veggies to the oven rack outside the roasting pan for about the last hour of cooking.
• Serve with roast.