Spice-Rubbed Leg of Lamb With Chimichurri

Rubbing the lamb in warm spices and cooking it on the grill impart bold, smoky flavor to this quick and flavorful dish. The chimichurri sauce brightens it up and adds gorgeous spring green to the mix. One of the plus sides of using a butterflied leg of lamb is that there are thin and thick parts to the meat, meaning you will have some rare, some medium, and some well done parts—perfect for serving a crowd. If you can’t find boneless leg of lamb, have your butcher remove the bone and butterfly the piece of meat for you.

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander, divided

• 1 (4-lb.) butterflied boneless leg of lamb

• ¾ cup plus 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

• ½ cup red wine vinegar

• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• ¼ teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper

How to Make It

1. Stir together cinnamon, red pepper, cumin, 2 tablespoons of the salt, and 1 teaspoon coriander in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over lamb. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil and rub to cover.

2. Preheat grill to high (450°F to 500°F). Grill lamb, covered, turning often, until seared on both sides, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium (350°F to 400°F), and continue to grill until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 120°F to 125°F, 15 to 20 minutes for medium-rare. Remove lamb from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

3. Meanwhile, make the chimichurri. Whisk together cilantro, parsley, vinegar, garlic, black pepper, remaining 3/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon coriander in a small bowl.

4. Thinly slice lamb against the grain and spoon chimichurri over top.