Want to spend less time cooking and more time socialising at your next barbecue? Choose a butterflied leg of lamb! This tasty cut is coated in spices and takes just 35 minutes on the barbecue. It makes a delicious dinner served with the fresh, vibrant flavours of pomegranate pearl barley salad and tahini-yoghurt sauce.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat a covered barbecue with all burners on low and hood closed until temperature reaches 240°C (or follow manufacturer’s instructions).
Open out lamb; rub with oil, then combined spices. Season well with salt. Place lamb in the centre of a disposable foil roasting pan. Place pan in the centre of the barbecue. Turn burners off underneath lamb, leaving other burners on low; cook lamb with the hood closed for 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, make pomegranate pearl barley and the tahini-yoghurt sauce.
Transfer lamb to a warm platter. Cover loosely with foil; rest for 10 minutes. Slice lamb thickly; serve with pomegranate salad and tahini-yoghurt sauce.
POMEGRANATE PEARL BARLEY
Place barley and 1.5 litres (6 cups) water in a large saucepan. Season with salt; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; cook for 30 minutes or until just tender. Drain; cool. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat; cook onion, stirring for 5 minutes or until onion is softened and caramelised. Transfer to a bowl; cool. Stir in barley, herbs, lemon juice and pomegranate seeds.
TAHINI-YOGHURT SAUCE
Stir ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Cover; refrigerate until required. Season to taste. Serve topped with a little extra freshly ground pepper and olive oil, if you like.
Butterflied leg of lamb cooking tips
Butterflying opens the lamb to even out the thickness. A butterflied leg of lamb will cook well on the barbecue or in the oven, and takes a lot less time to cook than a whole leg. Ask the butcher to bone and butterfly the leg for you.
How do I tell if the leg of lamb is cooked?
To test if lamb is cooked to your liking, insert a meat thermometer into the centre of the thickest part. The internal temperature should reach 60°C for rare, 60°C-65°C for medium-rare, 65°C-70°C for medium and 70°C for medium-well done.
