Barbequed Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Most people think of lamb as a winter or spring favorite. In the winter it's stewed slowly with vegetables, in the spring roast leg of lamb makes the perfect Easter or any Sunday dinner. If you like lamb, as my family does, why stop eating it in the summer months? Go to the butcher section of your supermarket or your private butcher and ask to have a whole leg of lamb "butterflied" for the barbecue grill. Tell him you need 4-5 pounds of meat and to try to cut it in no more than two large pieces, one is even better. It should look like a very large steak. Some charge for this extra service and some don't.

You'll need to prepare the lamb either the night before or early in the day you are serving it because it will marinade for 6-8 hours ideally. There are several variations but preparation is the same for each, only the marinade ingredients change.

Please note that the measurements I am giving can be adjusted to your personal taste, they are just approximates.

Italian Style
What you will need:

4-5 pounds of butterflied leg of lamb
5 large cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or substitute 1/8 cup dried
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil or 1/8 cup of dried
1 bay leaf
2-3 whole scallions, chopped
3/4 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of dry red wine
1/4 cup of olive oil
pepper to taste

Minty Lemon
What you will need:
4-5 pounds of butterflied leg of lamb
5 large cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves slightly smashed with a mortar and pistol
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 cup of fresh lemon juice (may substitute lemon juice from a container but it tastes better fresh)
salt and pepper to taste

Greek Style
What you will need:
All of the above but substitute oregano for the mint.

Easy store bought marinade
Instead of making your own marinade, any good, Italian Salad Dressing will do, either made with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.

How to prepare the butterflied lamb for the grill:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over the lamb in a shallow baking pan large enough to lay the lamb out flat. A 9x13 inch pan usually works, or a large rectangular piece of tupperware is even better. That way you can cover it tightly and just flip it once in a while. Marinate the lamb covered in marinade in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours - longer if necessary. Turn the lamb a few times, or flip the tupperware. Save the marinade and barbecue the lamb on very hot coals or a very hot grill, for approximately 20 minutes on each side, again this is approximate and will depend on the thickness of the lamb. Make sure it doesn't become overdone. Lamb prepared like this will have the texture and taste of a fine steak and is best served medium rare, although I prefer just medium. Baste the lamb frequently with the marinade while cooking. Slice thinly and serve while very hot.

I have had folks who swear they don't like lamb ask for seconds when they taste this!