Grilling season is a year-round affair for our family, but it really ramps up in May when the days begin to get longer. We use a wood pellet grill/smoker, but gas grills work perfectly for this recipe as well. Leg of lamb is my favorite cut. It isn’t just for holiday roasts; it’s perfect for smoking, grilling, and feeding a crowd for those summer backyard BBQ’s! You can do just about anything with it. Leg of lamb is one of the leanest and most versatile cuts. It can be grilled whole, like I did for this recipe, or cubed for kabobs.
In a world of endless variety, don’t be intimidated by lamb. It has an adventurous flavor and is just as easy to grill as other premium meats. Plus, when you choose American Lamb, you support local family farmers and ranchers throughout the U.S. American Lamb is up to 10,000 miles fresher than imported lamb, so be sure to ask your butcher where they source their lamb from.
This recipe is quickly prepared and such a crowd pleaser. Kids love it, too. The overnight marinade in yogurt tenderizes and softens the flavor of the lamb. A quick trip across the BBQ grill, and it’s dinner time!
Wood Grilled American Lamb & Asparagus
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Inactive time 24 hours
2 lbs. boneless leg of American Lamb*
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch of red chili flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste
Herbed Yogurt
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 green onions
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup cilantro
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste
Red Pepper Pesto
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup cilantro
1 garlic clove
The juice of a lemon
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Prep the lamb by removing any butcher’s twine and slicing through the thickest parts of the leg to make one uniform cut. You can ask your butcher to do this for you if you’d like. The night before you plan to grill, combine lamb, yogurt, garlic, chili flakes and pepper in a gallon-sized freezer bag. We don’t salt the lamb until it’s time to grill. Marinate the lamb in the refrigerator overnight. When it’s time to grill, heat your grill/smoker to 350°F. Place the lamb in the center rack and season with salt. Depending on the thickness of your cut, grill 7-9 minutes per side for medium. Once you flip the meat, add asparagus to the grill and cook alongside the meat while it finishes. Remove meat and asparagus at the same time. Dress asparagus with pesto and season with salt after cooking.
While the lamb cooks, prepare your sauces.
In the work bowl of your food processor, combine all herbed yogurt ingredients and pulse until chopped and smooth. Spoon yogurt into a dish. Give the mixer a quick rinse and prepare the pesto in the same way. Place all ingredients into the food processor, pulse several times, and taste for seasoning. These sauces can be done in advance, but they get better as time goes on. Both sauces last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To serve, slice the lamb against the grain and serve with sauce and asparagus.
* Depending on how many people you are feeding, you can purchase a whole boneless leg of lamb (5-7 pounds) or a smaller portion of the leg that has already been butterflied (2-3 pounds).
