We eat a lot of things in our house, but lamb is a relatively new dish for me. I first had it a few weeks ago served with pearl couscous and we really enjoyed it.
My husband, in true wilderness man fashion, couldn’t wait to give it another go. To him there is nothing more thrilling than cooking meat over an open fire (and to me there is nothing more delicious than a meal that I don’t have to cook myself, can I get an amen?)
I don’t think that lamb is a very common meat in America, which is surprising; With more than 82,000 family-owned sheep operations in nearly every U.S. state, American Lamb is local and available year round. It’s known for its quality, flavor, and tenderness.
What I like about it is being able to infuse global flavors into it, even when we’re using ingredients as simple as what we find in our backyard. Walking through the garden often inspires our cooking, and this meal was no different. Who can resist pulling fresh beets from the garden?
If you’re looking for a fun dish to try this fall, why not give this a go? Crusted with chunks of garlic and generous amounts of sea salt, the end result is smooth and full of flavor.
Serve it over fresh beats and sliced onion and you’ve got a filling (and nutritious!) meal that’s unrivaled.
10 minPrep Time
4 hrCook Time
4 hr, 10 Total Time
Ingredients
- one butterflied leg of lamb
- whole garlic clove
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- sea salt
- two onions
- three beets
- fire pit
- spit roaster
- wood
- cooking thermometer
Instructions
- Start fire in advance and let burn until nice coal bed forms; separate some coals from the fire.
- Place one whole clove garlic in food processer add quarter cup olive oil and blend.
- Rub half of mixture into the inside of butterflied lamb leg. Roll leg and tie securely at 1-inch intervals with butcher's twine. Rub remaining mixture over exterior of lamb. Season lamb with sea salt.
- Cook immediately or let rest uncovered in the refrigerator for up to one night for best flavor and texture.
- When ready to cook, place lamb on a roasting spit. Hold thermometer over coals and find a range of 250 to 280 degrees. Once that is found cook lamb in that range until it registers 125° to 130°F for medium-rare, or 130° to 135°F for medium (This should take 3 to 3 1/2 hours.)
- Slice beets and onions, add olive oil to pot and season with salt. Sautee mixture until cooked serve with sliced lamb or dice lamb and add to mixture.
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