The richness of the lamb is balanced by the sweet-tart lemon sauce. To make things easier, ask the butcher to trim the lamb for you.
Ingredients
Makes about 3 cups
Step 1
Open lamb, boned side up, like book. Trim most sinew and fat, being careful not to cut any holes in meat. Make one 3/4-to 1-inch-deep full-length cut in each thick portion of lamb (do not cut through to work surface). Cover lamb with sheet of plastic wrap. Using rolling pin, pound to even 1- to 1 1/2-inch thickness (lamb will be about 8x19 inches).
Step 2
Peel off plastic wrap. Sprinkle lamb evenly with salt and pepper, chopped garlic, and lemon peel. Top with 15 sage leaves, spaced evenly apart. Cover with pancetta. Starting at 1 long side, fold lamb in half. Tie lamb tightly at 2-inch intervals into long roll. Using small knife, make deep slits in lamb and insert slice of garlic and piece of sage leaf in each slit. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD:Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Step 3
Whisk lemon juice and oil in medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Brush mixture all over lamb and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Step 4
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place lamb on grill and sear on all sides. Continue to grill until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 130°F for rare, turning and brushing occasionally with lemon juice mixture, about 45 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes.
Step 5
Cut lamb into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with Caramelized Lemon Jus.
A Tuscan red can stand up to the bold flavors of the grilled lamb. The 2006 Col d'Orcia "Spezieri"($11) has delicious cherry flavors that pair well with the meat. Plus, this Sangiovese blend is a great value.
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Reviews (9)
Back to TopReally bizarre flavors. The sage and pancetta didn't go well with the lamb at all. And the carmelized jus was very bitter from the skin from the lemons (nowhere did it say to peel the lemons -- if you make this, peel them!) One thing I did take away from this: the butterflying and pounding of the lamb: I will use this technique but fill it with rosemary and thyme/lemon.
kkotcher
san diego
9/14/2010
Used bacon rather the pancetta and rosemary instead of sage. Didn't roll it, just folded it over and put it in a BBQ basket that held it together and made it easy to flip. Turned out really, really well. The Lemon Jus is terrific too.
Hilo
8/13/2010
This was absolutely delicious! The sage leaves added great flavor to the meat, but were quite strong when bitten into. The sauce was lovely as well (on the meat AND the potatoes). We followed the recipe as written. We paired this with the Greek 'Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Lemon, and Oregano' from this site. Great with a simple Greek 'village' salad.
AmyQuimby
Phoenix, AZ
5/30/2010
I'm relatively inexperienced with cooking meat so when my lamb flapped open I was a bit dismayed. I trimmed. I pounded it. No matter how hard I hit it, it wouldn't get any thinner. hrmpf. It was a very odd shape ... more like an archipelago than a book so I took some creative liberty and made my own odd shaped, tied up lamb loaf. I'm cooking it tomorrow so the jury is out on the taste. As for the carmelized jus, I could NOT get it to go onfire. So I reduced it for like an hour hoping to burn off the liquor taste And ta da! I hate sage so I don't know why I picked this recipe in the first place. I'm sure my guests will like it though.
daisy11969
5/28/2010
伟大的秘诀。旅行的晚宴of 9 people and there were no leftovers from a 9lb roast. I forgot the pancetta, so we added butter to the sauce to make up for the lost fat and it worked out beautifully. The sauce is so delicious that I will be smothering it on everything from poultry to fish from now on. Also didn't have a grill in a New York apartment so we roasted the lamb in the oven and it worked out just fine. With pancetta it might have been 4 forks but that's my fault. Will definitely try again. May substitute sage with rosemary or thyme next time both in the lamb and the sauce since I'm not a huge sage fan. YUMMY!
Anonymous
New York
11/8/2009
I only basted it with olive oil, because I decided it would be lemony enough without it. It turned out great. The pancetta and lemon jus really makes a difference. I would definitely use the lemon jus in other applications like roasted chicken or even fish as it is just the right combination of sweet bitter and tart. Bravo
southa6
vancouver, BC
9/4/2009
We don't have a gas grill just the good ol' Weber. Was a success. My mother had never had any lamb that she liked until this meal. Will become a keeper lamb recipe.
BethAlane
Nevada
6/28/2009
The stuffing and glaze made the lamb very good right off the grill without any sauce. I sprinkled my serving with a little chopped rosemary and coarse salt. I tried the Lemon Jus and it was good, but a little too much for me on the already lemony lamb. Some of my guests, though, really loved the sauce so I'll probably make it again next time.
demirobb
Madison, WI
4/18/2009
This dish is delicious! I wouldn't change a thing. It was perfect for company because I was able to prep it, then hand it off to husband to grill while I finished off the side dishes.
amyfenton
Cape Cod, MA
3/19/2009
