Over on the Rustic Joyful Food YouTube Channel you can watch me prepare this RIDICULOUS recipe! Grilled butterflied leg of lamb & herbed couscous — it’s juicy, crispy, flavorful, and ABSOLUTELY worth a watch! Special thanks to the American Lamb Board, our partner in this collaboration. Click here to watch, and PLEASE remember to like and subscribe!
Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb & Herbed Couscous
One 2-3 lb. butterflied leg of lamb, bones and shank removed
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 diced Fresno chili
Juice and zest of a lemon
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/2 cup chopped mint
2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 crushed cloves garlic
the juice and zest of a lemon
2 tsp. kosher salt (to be added just before the grill)
Salsa Verde
1 cup of basil
1 flat leaf parsley
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup mint
2 cups olive oil
1/2 shallot
1 small garlic clove
Juice and zest of a lemon
1/2 red Fresno chili
Salt and pepper to taste
Couscous
1 1/2 cups pearl Couscous
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice and zest of a lemon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped fresh herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
To prepare the lamb, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and liberally smear it on the meat. Place in a gallon Ziplock bag and inside a glass dish, then place in the bottom of your refrigerator overnight.
Before grilling, bring the lamb out of the refrigerator and allow to rise to room temp, at least an hour and a half. Turn the grill on to high and preheat for 5-10 minutes. Place the meat on the hot grill skin side up so the fat can keep the meat moist. Sear the lamb for 5-8 minutes per side, then turn the grill to low. Watch carefully for flare-ups. Grill the lamb for about 40 minutes total, rotating every 5-8 minutes or so. You want a great char but nothing burned. Grill the meat until you’ve reached an internal temp of 125 for a medium rare finish. Remove the lamb from the grill and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes while you cook your couscous.
In a heavy-bottom cast iron, sauté the shallots in the olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, pine nuts and couscous. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the pine nuts begin to toast in the oil. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with a fork and add the herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and tomatoes.
Serve with the sliced lamb.
To prepare the salsa verde, hand chop all the ingredients finely or pulse 3-4 times in a food processor, and serve as the perfect condiment to the grilled lamb.
