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By Gerald Etter
For some cultures, Easter means lamb. In fact, in many languages other than English, the word for the holiday is similar to paschal, as in the paschal lamb, which comes from the Hebrew word for Passover - Pesach.
Purchasing the lamb used to be the Easter version of shopping for a Christmas tree. Families would stroll through the Italian Market on 9th Street in South Philadelphia, and select lambs from sidewalk pens much as diners choose lobsters from restaurant tanks. They'd take the lamb home, season it, then bring it to a bakery to be cooked in one of the ovens. It was served at Easter dinner much as you might serve roast chicken, and eaten off the bone.
The practice waned, as it became unlawful for butchers to slaughter animals, and later generations preferred legs of lamb and cuts, such as rack and chops, over cooking whole lamb.
The traditional preparation for whole lamb called for rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. Basting the lamb with olive oil is still a good approach to bringing out the flavor of the various lamb cuts.
Butterflied leg of lamb is a good facsimile of the whole lamb for Easter. Serving about six, it is tender and not as expensive as the loin or rib sections.
The decision to grill or broil is yours. Since your oven broiler is basically an inverted grill, both methods are pretty much the same; They provide dry, direct heat. A grill heats from the bottom. When broiling, the heat comes from the top. The primary difference is intensity of heat; A grill offers more heat, so it cooks faster, avoiding the continuous loss of liquid occurring in slow cooking.
The lack of intense heat from the broiler is corrected by placing a butterflied leg of lamb about three inches from the heat source. After 10 minutes, turn the lamb with tongs and turn three more times, every 10 minutes, until the lamb has cooked for 40 minutes. This method will produce a medium-rare butterflied leg of lamb; for medium, turn again, broil another 10 minutes.
Always check the part of the lamb exposed to the heat to make sure it does not burn. A dark, crisp surface is fine. A meat thermometer is the most accurate way to check for doneness. It should read 145 degrees for medium rare, 160 for medium, 170 for well-done.
Butterflied Leg of Lamb
4 to 6 garlic cloves 1/2 cup olive oil 3/4 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons rosemary needles 1 leg of lamb, about 3 to 41/2 pounds, butterflied Freshly ground salt, black pepper to taste
Flatten garlic cloves with side of a wide knife. Peel off skins and chop garlic. Combine olive oil and wine, and add garlic. Whisk well, or process for 20 seconds in blender or food processor. Add rosemary to marinade, and stir.
Marinate lamb with mixture for two to six hours in refrigerator, turning several times to distribute marinade evenly.
Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Remove any excess marinade with paper towel.
Place lamb on grill or under broiler. Cook 40 minutes for medium-rare, 50 minutes for medium. Turn every 10 minutes. Use meat thermometer to check for doneness.
Remove from grill or broiler and let rest, covered loosely with foil, five minutes. Slice. Serve with juices that collect on cutting board.
Makes approximately six servings
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