Buttermilk Leg Of Lamb with The Meadow Sel Gris

Recipe courtesy of Mark Bitterman from Salted

Salting a leg of lamb should be approached with anticipation and reverence; this is one of the truly sacred uses of a coarse and lusciously moist salt-in other words, sel gris--both the cooking and the finishing of the food. Any good, moist sel gris will work well here, but I cannot resist calling for my own true love, the rather obscure but sublimely supple salt we have adopted as our house sel gris at The Meadow. The zesty flavors of Parameswaran’s pepper--a whirl of eucalyptus, celery seed, lemon peel, and cedar--is likewise a point of precision that can lend yet more depth to the flavors of the dish.

Ingredients

Marinade

- 1½ cups of buttermilk

- Juice of 1 lemon

- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

- 8 cloves garlic

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

- 2 tablespoons crushed black cardomom seeds

- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 4 three-finger pinches The Meadow Sel Gris

- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Lamb

- 1 boneless leg of lamb (about 4 punds), butt end, butterflied

- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 4 to 6 three-finger pinches The Meadow Sel Gris or other sel gris, plus more for serving

- 2 teaspoons cracked good-quality peppercorns, preferably Parameswaran’s

Directions

1) Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a large (gallon size or larger) zipper-lock or other food-grade plastic bad. If the butterflied meat was trussed or wrapped in a butcher’s net, pull off the string, rinse it, and set it aside.

2) Put the lamb in the bag and unfold the butterflied meat so that it all comes in contact with marinade.

3) Massage the marinade into the meat briefly

4) Close the zipper almost all the way, squeeze out of the air as you can without letting any marinade seep from the opening, and zip the bag the rest of the way.

5) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, massaging the bag once or twice in the meantime to circulate the marinade, or you can let it chill for the rest of the day. Because marinades do not permeate meat fibers deeply, marinating for more time does little to add more flavor. Settle on a time that fits your schedule.

6) Light the grill for medium-high indirect heat (about 425 degree F), building your fire or turning on the burners only on one side of the grill.

7) Remove the lamb from the marinade.

8) Using kitchen string, truss the meat together to resemble the leg before it was butterflied: compact and thick.

9) Pat off any excess marinade from the surface, as moisture on the surface of the meat will inhibit to brown on the grill.

10) Coat the meat with the olive oil and season it will salt and pepper.

11) Brush the grill grate thoroughly with a wire brush to clean it, and coat it lightly with oil.

12) Put the lamb on the grill right over the heat and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

13) If the fire should flare up, cover the grill to make the flames subside.

14) Move the browned meat away from direct heat, cover the grill, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers about 135 degrees F for medium-rare, about 30 minutes.

15) Remove the lamb to a large serving platter; set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

16) Cut off the string and slice the lamb about ¼ inch thick.

17) Arrange the slices on a serving platter and sprinkle them with just enough sel gris to show off the dish.

18) Serve with more salt mounded on a small dish for the table.

19) Leaving the meat mostly unsalted gives your guests the pleasure of sprinkling it with moist chunks of sel gris with every juicy bite.

Roasting Option

If winter weather have you cooking indoors, this lamb recipe also makes a great roast. Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F before removing the lamb from the marinade. Truss the meat as for the grill, and lace on an oven rack in a baking pan. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and cook until the meat’s internal temperature reaches 135 degrees F for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Remove the roast from the oven and transfer to a platter or cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. While the meat is resting, place the roasting pan over medium-high heat and pour in ½ cup of dry white wine or dry vermouth, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Slice the meat and arrange it on a serving platter, drizzle the pan sauce over the top, sprinkle with a little salt, and serve with more salt at the table.

PRINTER FRIENDLY | SHARE ON FACEBOOK | TWEET

Copyright ©2012 Find.Eat.Drink. LLC All rights reserved.