Yogurt-Mint Marinated Grilled Leg of Lamb

 

This Tunisian leg of lamb is well worth the time invested. Let the yogurt work its marinade magic for this beautiful main course.

Active prep and cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Total time: 9 hours 45 minutes (8 hours to marinade) Trust me…it’s worth it!

Look for a small (4-5 pound) boneless leg of lamb at your butcher or supermarket. You can have it butterflied if you want or grill it whole.

Ingredients Yield: Makes 8 servings (So invite some friends!)

• 4-5 pound boneless leg of lamb
• 2 cups low-fat yogurt, divided
• 1 teaspoon plus 3 1/2 tablespoons Tabil Spice Blend (See below)
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, divided with ¼ cup minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (that’s about 1/8 teaspoon per serving, so it’s ok)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1, 4–5 pound leg of lamb
• 4 lemons, halved

Tabil Spice Blend:

• 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Marinade: Whisk remaining 1 cup yogurt, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons Tabil Spice Blend, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, 1 teaspoon pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour this mixture into a 9 x 12” pan. Add leg of lamb and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

Yogurt Sauce: Mix 1 cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon Tabil Spice Blend, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves in a small bowl and season to taste with fresh ground black pepper. Cover and reserve in the fridge until 15 minutes prior to eating. 

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Grill until the skin side is golden brown, then turn the lamb over, and reduce the heat of the grill to medium so that the grill maintains a constant temperature of 350 degrees F. Continue grilling until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the meat reaches a temperature of 145 degrees F for medium-rare doneness, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.When done, remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing (to hold in the juices). Thinly slice lamb against the grain and arrange on a platter; garnish with sliced lemons. Serve with reserved yogurt sauce. 

OMG is this good!