Leg of lamb is served often at Holidays such as Christmas and Easter, but it’s really an amazing dish anytime. For my Red Wine and Garlic Rotisserie Leg of Lamb recipe, I used a 5.5 lb boneless leg of lamb. After marinating in a flavorful red wine and garlic marinade overnight, I cooked this on a rotisserie in a Green Mountain pellet grill. You heard that right, a rotisserie in a pellet grill! Green Mountain Grills are one of the few (or only that I know of) pellet grill manufacturers that make a rotisserie kit for their grill. I love to cook things on a rotisserie anyways, so I had to try it out on the GMG. At The BBQ Allstars, my BBQ and grilling paradise store in Southaven, MS, we keep demo units of many of the grills we sell. So, killing two birds with one stone, I went to work, fired up the GMG, and got to cooking!
Using a Rotisserie in a Pellet Grill
Pellet grills are very versatile, and although you won’t be able to sear the exterior of the leg of lamb, we’re still going to get a tasty crust on this by adjusting our temperature in the grill. We’re going to start the grill out at 500 degrees and cook the leg of lamb for 30 minutes at that temp to start developing a delicious crust. Then, we’re going to lower the temp to 225 to put some smoke flavor on the leg. Along the way, I used a MojoBrick to help augment the smoke flavor. For lamb, which has a strong flavor, I used cherry wood, which is the strongest flavor of the fruitwoods, but not overpowering.
Choosing, Marinating, Seasoning and Cooking the Leg of Lamb
For cooking on a rotisserie, you’ll want a boneless leg of lamb. These are sold already deboned and “netted,” or you can ask your butcher to do that. If you or your butcher doesn’t have meat netting, tie the leg up securely with butchers twine. Leg of lamb can sometimes have a strong flavor, so I like using a red wine and garlic marinade with plenty of rosemary and herbs. I like to basically make a vinaigrette, then pour that over the lamb and add the wine. I like to marinate the lamb for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. After that, I remove it from the marinade, pat dry and lightly coat with dijon, then sprinkle with my Garlic Blend and Lucky 7 seasonings. Allow to sit out at least 30 minutes before putting on the rotisserie to adjust thermally. Then, simply skewer and place on a preheated grill. Following the temperature procedures, cooking is a snap. When I’m adjusting the temperature down, I removed the skewer so I could get more smoke time on the leg. Cook until the leg reaches 140 degrees, then rest for 10-15 minutes, and slice thinly to serve.
The Sauce is the Boss
I like to serve rotisserie leg of lamb with a sauce that mirrors the flavors of the marinade. You can make the sauce a day ahead if you want, or make it while the lamb is cooking. It’s a simple red wine reduction, with some shallots, garlic, mustard and chicken stock, thickened with butter. You’ll love it.
As always, I hope you enjoy!
Like Comfort food recipes? Check out my Beef Bourguignon or Winter Pork Stew recipes!
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Red Wine and Garlic Rotisserie Leg of Lamb
Description
This Rotisserie grilled leg of lamb recipe will result in an uber-flavorful dish you can enjoy throughout the year.
Ingredients
1 boneless leg of lamb, 5-7 lbs
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 TBS Garlic Blend Seasoning
1 TBS Lucky 7 Seasoning
For the Marinade:
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped
1 TBS fresh Italian Parsley, Chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
1 TBS diced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 TBS fresh Rosemary, diced
1/2 TBS fresh Italian parsley, diced
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
3–4 TBS very cold butter
Instructions
For marinading the lamb-
Using a whisk or a blender, add mustard, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, honey, pepper, and combine. While whisking or blending, slowly drizzle in olive oil to form an emulsion. Pour into resealable bag along with red wine and combine. Add boneless leg of lamb, and allow to marinate in fridge for 4 hours up to overnight.
Remove from marinade and pat dry. Lightly brush on a layer of Dijon, then coat with Garlic Blend and Lucky 7. Allow to sit out 30 minutes, lightly covered, before cooking.
Preheat grill to 500 degrees. Use a Mojobrick or other smoke addition to create more smoke flavor. Skewer leg of lamb, then place on the rotisserie. Allow lamb to cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove skewer from grill and reduce temperaure to 225. Cook lamb for 1 hour, or until internal temp hits 140 degrees. Cooking time will vary based on the weight of the lamb and your grill. Remove from grill and rest for 10-15 minutes over a pan, lightly covered, before slicing thinly to serve.
For the sauce-
While lamb is cooking, place olive oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook until golden and fragrent. Add red wine, salt, pepper, dijon, and stock, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by 1/2. Reduce heat to a low simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat off, then whisk in butter tablespoon by tablespoon, until sauce is thickened and glossy. Lastly, whisk in herbs, adjust for salt and pepper, and serve.
