Grilled Leg of Lamb with Salsa Verde
Gavin Kaysen, a Minneapolis-based chef and two-time James Beard Award winner, loves grilling a leg of lamb during the spring and summer months when he knows he’ll be putzing around the yard all afternoon. This recipe is the centerpiece of Kaysen's new Easter menu. While the large-format cut takes a couple of hours to cook, you have very little work to do once it’s on the grill. When you’re shopping for your lamb, ask for a boneless leg that’s still in one piece.
Salsa verde—here the Italian version, flavored with capers and anchovies—both flavors the lamb while it cooks and serves as a sauce for the finished meat. This vibrantly flavored sauce takes only a few seconds to make, so keep this recipe handy to use on other grilled meats and fish, as well as for topping vegetables, sandwiches, pizza—it’s good on pretty much everything.
Ingredients:
For the salsa verde:
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 Tbs. capers, chopped
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup (3/4 oz./20 g) thinly sliced chives
- 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) salsa verde- 3 lb. (1.5 kg) boneless leg of lamb
- 3 Tbs. fine sea salt
Directions:
To make the salsa verde, in a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine the garlic, capers and anchovies. Grind or process until a fine paste is formed.
Add the shallot, parsley, chives and vinegar and mix to combine. With one hand, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mortar and pestle or food processor. With the other hand, stir constantly or run the food processor to emulsify the oil. Season with salt and pepper. This makes about 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) salsa verde. You will need 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) for the lamb recipe; save the rest for another use.
Rub 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of the salsa verde all over the leg of lamb, working it in thoroughly.
To ensure the lamb cooks evenly, fold it or roll it over itself into a uniform rectangle shape. To truss the lamb leg, wrap butcher’s twine around the middle of the lamb and tie a knot. Pull it tight, double-knotting with a square knot. Repeat this trussing process, wrapping each string an inch or so apart. You should end up with 4 or 5 trusses. Cover the lamb loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat the grill to 325°F (165°C), concentrating the heat source on one side of the grill.
Season the lamb with the fine sea salt on all sides. Place the lamb on the cooler side of the grill, cover the grill and cook over indirect heat until the internal temperature of the lamb registers 125°F (52°C), about 2 hours, turning the lamb over once halfway through cooking.
Transfer the lamb to a wire rack and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and thinly slice. Reserve the drippings and pour back over the sliced meat. Serve with the remaining 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) salsa verde. Serves 6.
Adapted from At Home by Gavin Kaysen (Spoon Thief Publishing, 2023)
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