Grilled Lamb Kebab with Smokey Eggplant, Basil & Feta Dip and Spicy Romesco Sauce
Who knew you could make a kebab without the skewers! Well, you absolutely can, and it’s just as fun and a little easier. Summer has bid us farewell, but that doesn’t mean grilling has to go along with her! It’s tailgating season, everybody—and that means grilling! Grilling American Lamb only makes cheering on your favorite team even better!
I am an advocate for year-round grilling. And grilling meaty chunks of leg of lamb is honestly what dinner dreams are made of. The leg is mild, flavorful, and you can’t mess it up! You may think it needs loads of time and preparation, but honestly it doesn’t. I like to ask my butcher to remove the bone, then I cut it into nice 3-nch cubes for grilling.
A leg of lamb is one of the best cuts. It stands up to so many cooking methods and tastes brilliant each time. The USDA recommends cooking a cut like this to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees. Pull the lamb at 140 degrees, then rest it for 5 minutes and you’ll gain that extra 5 degrees.
For this recipe I wanted to do something different and simple. This recipe is simple yet showstopping! My family loves their lamb at that medium temperature, so I marinated the lamb and made the sauces while it grilled. I threw a whole eggplant on the grill 5 minutes before the lamb, so it had a bit more time to get soft and delicious. Smokey eggplant dip doubles as an incredible pasta sauce, so feel free to mix it into pasta or any grain bowl.
I hope you try this incredible recipe and choose American Lamb to get some delicious variety into your family’s dinner game! The opinions here are all my own, and this is a sponsored post in partnership with the American Lamb Board.
Prep time 15 minutes
Grill time 15 minutes
Rest time 15 minutes
Serves 4-6 people
Grilled lamb
3 pounds boneless leg of American lamb
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Eggplant, basil & feta dip
1 large, or 2 medium-sized, egg plants
1-2 tablespoons of tahini
Juice of a lemon
2 teaspoons olive oil
Handful of fresh sweet basil
1/4 cup crumbly feta
1 clove fresh garlic
Spicy romesco sauce
1 cup roasted bell peppers
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 clove of garlic
Handful of cilantro
2 green onions
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1-2 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs (if needed, to thicken)
Salt and pepper to taste
The lamb:
1. Cut the leg of lamb into roughly 3-inch cubes. If you feel like a skewered kebab and have bamboo skewers, get them out and soak them in water.
2. Add the lamb to a large mixing bowl and add all the remaining marinade ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Allow to marinate for at least 15-20 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Heat the grill to 400 degrees. Place the eggplant (in prep for the dip) on the hot grill for 5 minutes before the meat.
4. Add the meat and sear on all sides, 2-3 minutes per side, turning the eggplant along with the meat until it’s blistered and dripping juices (about 20 minutes). Use a thermometer to test for the proper temperature. While the meat grills, prepare the dipping sauces.
5. Once the meat is grilled allow to rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
The eggplant, basil & feta dip:
1. Add all the dip ingredients to the work bowl of your food processor.
2. Allow the eggplant to sit on a plate roughly 5 minutes until you can safely handle it. Remove the blistered skin, then mix the hot eggplant in the food processor with everything else.
3. Transfer the warm sauce to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
The spicy romesco sauce:
1. In the same food processor (no worries if it’s still got eggplant dip in it), add all the sauce ingredients. Pulse until the sauce just comes together.
2. Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and dip the grilled lamb into it!
To serve, thinly slice the meat and serve hot with dips and herbs. This goes great into a warm pita or garlic flat bread!
Right now, the American Lamb Board is running a fantastic contest over on Instagram (@fanoflamb), and you can win some great prizes—check it out:
It’s time to get fired up for another weekend of football and tailgating! If you love to tailgate and entertain, visit @fanoflamb on Instagram to enter to win some incredible giveaway items!
What you could win:
– A Traeger Tailgater portable grill
– A Yeti Tundra 65 cooler
– A custom cornhole set
– $500 worth of American lamb
