There is nothing like cooking a beautiful, juicy leg of lamb outdoors on the barbeque. The key is to get a delicious caramelized outer crust with perfectly moist meat gradually getting pinker as you carve closer to the bone. This is my technique and it works perfectly every time.
My method is based around not cooking the lamb on the barbeque except to finish it prior to serving. Instead, cook it in the oven first and then finish it on the barbeque. This dish starts and ends with a top quality marinade. You can buy these but I much prefer to make my own. You can use whatever you like but I like to make a robust, thick marinade with rosemary, thyme, orange zest, ketchup, paprika, cumin and fennel. To get the marinade into the meat, slash the leg all over to a depth of about half a centimeter, then massage your marinade into the lamb. The next thing I do is use a snug-fitting roasting tin. Using a snug tin means you keep the marinade in and around the meat while it is cooking which keeps it juicy and full of flavor. I often have to saw through the end piece of bone and fold it over in order to get it into the roasting tin.
Barbeque
One your lamb is in the tin, cover it loosely with foil and put in the oven at about 180. The cooking time you choose depends on how rare or well done you like your lamb. If you want it well done then an hour and a half will do it. Reduce the time from there according to your taste. You can use a meat thermometer to check the temperature as well, although the best way I find is to check the color of the juices coming out of the deep parts of the leg, this really tells you how the meat is coming on. Get the barbeque lit about forty minutes before the meat is done.
After the lamb is cooked and the flames have died down, you are ready to barbeque. Place the lamb gently onto the barbeque bars and baste the meat with the lovely juices from the roasting tray. Keep turning and basting, this is what will build up the lovely charred, caramelized outer crust. After about ten minutes the lamb should be done. Get your lamb off the barbeque and wrap it in foil to rest for at least ten minutes. Reduce the pan juices while the lamb is resting. You can put it on the hob or you can just put the tray on the barbeque - this will make the most unbelievable gravy. Once the lamb is rested you are ready to carve it. Carve slices off the leg and serve. The beauty of cooking you lamb like this is that the meat will be incredibly juicy and tender but it will also have the beautiful charred crust on the outside so you can serve up a mixture on each plate. Serve the lamb with wilted greens (perhaps also done on the barbeque in foil parcels) and potatoes.
Hopefully this has given you some ideas for producing beautifully barbequed leg of lamb.
Barbeque Tips - Leg of Lamb
Patrick Attlee is a food writer who loves barbeque season. He is also an advocate for hair thickening shampoo and provides information on the subject for both men and women.