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Spring Lamb

May 24, 2015 - Radio Kitchen - Spring Lamb

Tradition is an obliging master; pay homage to tradition, and it will reward you with familiar pleasures.  The tradition of Spring Lamb is well-rooted here in Maryland, and with good reason.  By the month of May, the new crop of lamb is available, and ready for the table.  And Chef Jerry Pelligrino of Schola Cooking School, I'm sure that you would agree with me that the grill is a great place to go with lamb.

The most fundamental dish would be Grilled Leg of Lamb, a way of cooking that goes back millennia.  (I can easily summon up images of the Siege of Troy with the smoke of grilling lamb soaring heavenward.) 

You can find a leg of lamb with bone in, or you can lose the bone and butterfly it.  The butterflied approach, which leaves you with a big flat piece of meat, lends itself to stuffing the lamb, or seeding it generously with slices of garlic slipped into the meat.

Both approaches also lend themselves to rubs or coatings, and the flattened butterflied lamb is easier to marinate, since the big old leg will require a full day's worth of manipulation.  If you work with the butterflied cut, you probably want to roll it and then tie it up with butcher's string before taking it to the grill.

For the best results, both cuts do best when cooked on a rotisserie, which will result in the most even cooking.  For that really good char, start the lamb off directly over a high flame, and sear it all around.  You then reduce the heat to medium and move the lamb away from direct heat.  You want long slow cooking, at least 20 minutes per pound.  I would recommend lower heat and even longer exposure.  There is simply no need to rush this.

After grilling, you have to remove the roast from the heat and let it sit undisturbed for at least 20 minutes while it rests and collects its inner juices.

Here is a nice recipe for a good lamb marinade.

(This is a time for using very good quality olive oil.  One variety that I like is called Picual, a premium oil from Spain.  I like its strong flavors that don't go over the top.  For acidity, I want fresh lemon juice to work on the meat.  For flavor, there are a group of spices that are traditionally harmonious with lamb:  garlic, oregano, rosemary and thyme.  Blend all your ingredients in a big 2 gallon sealable plastic bag, and toss the lamb in.  If it's butterflied, you only need about 4 hours.  If the leg is whole, you need to let it go overnight to penetrate the meat.  In either case try to rotate and move the meat as much as possible to get even coating.  And of course, all of this will happen in the refrigerator.)

                  Herbed Leg of Lamb Marinade

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a strongly flavored oil like Picual)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon each:  dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme
  • 2 tbs coarse salt
  • 1 1 tbs coarse ground black pepper

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well.  Pour the marinade into a large 2 gallon heavy duty sealable plastic bag.  Place your lamb in (either an entire leg or a butterflied cut) and shake it well to coat the meat.
  2. Place the bag in a large pyrex cooking dish, and refrigerate for 8 hours.  Turn the bag every hour or so to get the meat evenly coated.
  3. Before you are ready to cook, bring the meat out and put it on a plate long enough to get to room temperature.

Stuffing your butterflied leg of lamb can give you a chance for some creativity, which might be inspired by a visit to your local farmers market.

Here's a good recipe that features springtime ingredients.

(Since lamb has something of a strong flavor, you want compatible ingredients with personality.  I propose making a stuffing that features pancetta, fresh spinach and feta cheese.  To spice things up, I would toss in some grated lemon zest, dried mint and dried rosemary.  To stuff a butterflied leg of lamb, you will want to lay it down flat with the "inside" facing up.  Arrange your stuffing in layers, spread evenly all over the meat.  Roll it up and tie it up with butcher's string for cooking.)

                  Spinach Feta Stuffing for lamb

  • 4 ounces uncooked pancetta
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked fresh spinach
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 2 tbs grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbs dried mint
  • 1 tbs dried rosemary
  1. Lay the butterflied lamb flat on a carving board, inside up.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  2. Place the uncooked pancetta in a layer over the middle of the roast, working out to the sides. 
  3. Lay the spinach evenly over the pancetta.  Cover that with the feta cheese.  Sprinkle on the lemon zest, dried mint and dried rosemary.
  4. Carefully up the meat, and tie it up tightly with butcher's string.
  5. Wrap in plastic wrap until a half hour before you are going to grill the meat, allowing time for it to come to room temperature.

Mint is very well suited to lamb, and the affinity is well known.  Although some people favor mint jelly, we cannot recommend it in all honesty.  The sweetness may appeal to some, but for the mature palate it not only is cloying, but it destroys the possibility of agreeable cooperation with wine, particularly anything cabernet sauvignon-based, which is thrown out of whack by sweetness.

Here is an original Radio Kitchen recipe for a much more subtle but still suitable savory mint sauce.

                                     Mint Sauce

  • 1 cup chopped  fresh mint, plus two tbs finely chopped in reserve
  • 1/2 cup canned beef broth
  • 1/3 cup chopped shallots
  • 4 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 4 tbs white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbs plain sugar
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tbs Herbes de Provence
  1. Combine the first six ingredients in a medium sauce pan, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from heat, and allow the ingredients to macerate for at least two hours.
  2. Strain the mixture into a bowl and set aside. 
  3. In another small sauce pan place the corn starch.  Add the liquid sauce little by little, whisking the mixture thoroughly, eliminating lumps. 
  4. When all of the liquid has been incorporated, you may bring the pan to a simmer, stirring constantly to avoid lumping up.  The sauce will turn translucent.  You then remove from heatand allow it to cool to room temperature.
  5. Add in the remaining two tablespoons of finely chopped mint and the Herbes de Provence and mix in well.  Adjust the seasoning for salt and pepper.  Makes about 1 cup.

(Working with mint, beef broth, and shallots, you are going to forego a lot of sugar, and use red wine vinegar and white balsamic vinegar to give the sauce acidity and a very slight hint of sweetness.  A bit of corn starch to thicken, a pinch of Herbes de Provence to make it zingy, and you have a very wine-friendly sauce for your lamb.)  

Al Spoler, well known to WYPR listeners as the wine-loving co-host of "Cellar Notes" has had a long-standing parallel interest in cooking as well. Al has said, the moment he started getting serious about Sunday night dinners was the same moment he started getting serious about wine. Over the years, he has benefited greatly from being a member of the Cork and Fork Society of Baltimore, a gentlemen's dining club that serves black tie meals cooked by the members themselves who are some of Baltimore's most accomplished amateur cooks.
Executive Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks restaurant is fascinated by food and wine, and the way they work in harmony on the palate. His understanding of the two goes all the way to the molecular level, drawing on his advanced education in molecular biology. His cuisine is simple and surprising, pairing unexpected ingredients together to work with Corks' extensive wine offerings.