This week I’d like to share with you
the way I really like to cook. I always have onion, garlic, stock, olive oil, fresh
herbs from the garden and my favorite seasonings on hand. With the
basics on hand you can make a great meal with just a quick trip to
the store for your key menu items.
Trip to the store: Leg of lamb any style. Don’t stress out over bone in or out, just get a good looking cut for the best price you can. .5 pound per person is a good guideline. Fingerling potatoes, Yukon gold or baby reds work great, asparagus, baby portabella mushrooms, two bottles of inexpensive raspberry vinaigrette dressing, spicy mustard (I used chipolte mustard) and a jar of red pepper jelly.
Night or morning before cooking: Marinade the lamb roast in the dressing. I put it in a bag w/ fresh thyme, raw onion, peeled garlic and set the bag in a dish in the fridge for the night.
Ready to cook: Take out all your ingredients, including garlic, onions, herbs, spices, lemon, mustard pepper jelly. I like to have it all out and just put it away as I finish using it.
First: Take the lamb out of the marinade, place on a dish and discard the marinade. Season the fat side of the roast and set aside. Don’t put it back in the fridge.
Second: Lightly coat your mushroom pan with olive oil and a tab of butter. Add whole mushrooms, onion, minced garlic, fresh herbs (ie: thyme & parsley), a little dried oregano, salt & pepper. Turn on low, cover and move on.
Third: Grab a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil. Snap off the bottoms of your asparagus and place in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper and set aside.
Fourth: Take a large piece of tin foil and fold in half. Smear some butter on one side. Pile potatoes on top of the butter. I leave the small ones whole and cut the larger ones in half. Top with a couple of pats of butter, drizzle with olive oil, pile on some diced onion & garlic, season generously with salt & pepper and sprinkle on whatever fresh herbs you’ve chosen. Again, for this meal I went with fresh parsley, thyme and a bit of dried oregano. Seal the edges of the foil to create your package and set aside.
Fifth: Fire up the heat. Light the grill and turn the oven on to 350 if you plan to use both.
Sixth: Take the roast (fat side up), rub with olive oil, season with salt & pepper. I like to stuff hers and garlic under the fat. Put the roast on the grille fat side down and close. You only want the meat on the direct flame for a few minutes to brown the fat side. Turn one side of the grille off. Turn the meat and move it to the side that is off. Brush with a healthy amount of the mustard, Close the grille and set a timer for about an hour. It usually takes about .5 hours per pound for medium rare.
Seventh: Put the potato pack on the side of the grille that is off or put it in a dish and pop it in the oven.
Eighth: After one hour, brush the roast with the pepper jelly, take the temperature. You really don’t want to overcook lamb! Medium rare is perfect! The temperature for medium rare for lamb it 140 – 150. I stick with 140. It’s easier to pop it back in the oven if it’s too rare for you. Once meat is overcooked, it is what it is. At this point, you probably have another .5 hours of cook time. Cover and go in and check your mushrooms and throw the asparagus in the oven next to the potatoes. Take the top off the mushrooms and turn up the heat a bit to get some of the moisture evaporating.
Ninth: When the meat is ready, bring it in, set aside to rest, so the juices can redistribute and keep the meat juicy. Never cut meat before letting it rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tenth and final: Grab your favorite platter, arrange sliced lamb to one side, lay out asparagus, potatoes and pour the mushrooms with the juices over the top. It’s great to serve buffet style or put on the table to serve family style.
GREAT TIP FOR EASY CLEAN UP: Both the mushrooms and asparagus can be done in foil packets like the potatoes. Doing the entire menu on the grill is so beneficial when you’re hosting a dinner party! Your guest don’t see the mess and you don’t end up with a sink full of pots and pans after dinner. At the end of this meal, we took 5 minutes to load the plates into the dishwasher and were relaxing with a glass of wine in no time!