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| This is the consistency and color you should reach with your sauce reduction. Perfection! |
flying by. Easter is just a few days away and it's such a fun time of year. We spend time with family and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have many Easter traditions that date back to when I was a kid. One of those is going to our family sheep ranch for a big party. We have done this since I was little and it still is one of my favorite family traditions. The other tradition we have is a yummy dinner on Easter Sunday. My favorite thing to make for Easter dinner is leg of lamb. I didn't create this recipe, it's actually one I got from Good Housekeeping Magazine many years ago, but it's still my favorite. People like it too, (even ones who claim to not like the taste of lamb.) So I thought I'd share it with you. The recipe includes a marinade that you then save and reduce down into a glorious sauce, and a salsa. I only do the salsa in the summer when there are good peaches to be had. It's good with the sauce only and good with the sauce and salsa too. I make it more without the salsa than with, due to the shortage of good peaches in many months of the year. I have marinated it for a total of 4 hours and have also done it over night. I have made this same recipe on the BBQ which is recommended and have also marinated and roasted, both are good. I prefer the BBQ method as I like the extra, slightly blackened flavor from the grill and I think grill marks are pretty! I have been making this recipe since 2005. I tried to find a link to the Good Housekeeping website as that is where I got the recipe, I couldn't find the recipe on their website, despite many attempts to search for it.
Here is what you need:
1 (4lb) leg of lamb, butterflied (ask butcher to help you) basically you will need to open the leg up so it is thinner, as to cook more evenly on the BBQ. And here's my shameless plug for the local sheep industry, please seek out local, American raised lamb, there are many sheep ranchers working hard here in the U.S. to bring high quality, safe, and tasty lamb to the table just for you!
1 Cup Molasses
1/2 Cup Fresh squeezed Orange Juice
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Can of Beer (12 oz)
For the Peach/Mint Salsa:
2 lbs Ripe Peaches
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Cup Mint Leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
1/4 Teaspooon Salt
1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 Cup Pinenuts
Directions:
If leg of lamb is not already butterflied, you can use a knife and open up the leg making cuts so that the leg lays out flat and is about equal thickness all over. Bone should be removed. Make a marinade using the Molasses, OJ, Olive oil, Mustard, Garlic, Salt, Pepper and Beer. Place the lamb in the marinade for 4-8 hours in the refrigerator. Remove leg of lamb from marinade after desired marinating time. Do not throw out marinade! This is your sauce. Reserve the marinade in a sauce pan. Bring the marinade to a boil over med-high heat. Then lower temp. to a simmer. Stir and simmer until the liquid is reduced down to about half of it's original amount and is thicker.
Over medium heat, outdoor grill the lamb leg for 15-30 min. for medium-rare (depending on thickness) I always us a meat thermometer and set it for 145 degrees and then let it rest until about 155 degrees, covered with foil. It will continue to raise in heat about 10 degrees after you remove from the heat. Cooking time depends on how done you like your lamb.
For the salsa, grill the peaches for 5-6 minutes then chop, add all other salsa ingredients and mix to make a salsa.
This is what the lamb will look like off the grill.
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| Pretty grill marks and extra flavor! |
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| Here is a leg of lamb butterflied and opened up. |
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| In the marinade. |
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| The reduction process for the sauce made from the marinade. |
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| Mmm...excuse me while I sample the goods! |
Much love,
From "Patch-A-Heaven!"
