Lamb Kebobs
Ingredients
- 16 oz. leg of lamb, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- juice from 1 lemon
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tps. freshly ground pepper
Method
Remove a fair bit of the outer fat from the leg. The fat is nice but can add to the gamey flavor that some find offputting. Cut the leg into about 1 inch cubes. I bought a whole leg and cut it up into steaks and froze them. The initial cost may seem expensive but this is a very cost effective way to use lamb.
Add the oil and lemon juice to a bowl. Whisk briefly to combine. Mince the garlic and add to the mixture. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Add the lamb and toss to coat the pieces very well.
Put the mixture in a one gallon plastic storage bag. You can leave it in the bowl, but I find the bag does a better job. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Rub the bag for a bit to massage in the marinade. Allow to marinade for at least 6 hours.
Add the lamb to skewers. I prefer metal skewers that are thin and flat; I find they are easier to turn.
Grill over medium high heat, about 6 or 7 minutes per side. Do not time this. Instead, after a few minutes, check the underside of the meat to see if it has good color. When it does, flip and wait until you have a good color on the other side. Cook the lamb to 120° F internal temperature. Be sure not to hit the skewer with the thermometor. You can cook the lamb to your preferred doneness, but a temperature beyond medium (160° F) will make the lamb taste gamey. The lamb will continue to cook after removed from heat, so allow for about 5° F carry-over temperature. Serve immediately.
Notes
I can get a leg of lamb fairly inexpensively on a per pound basis. You'll probably pay a lot of money up front for the leg, but it will easily be several meals. I find lamb to be very filling and satisfying, so I don't need to have a very large portion necessarily (but it is nice to have a nice big leg roast and go to town once in a while). This is easy to prepare and fast to grill. I like this over charcoal, but doing this over propane is just a tasty and very convenient for a weekday meal. Serve this with red lentil and cilantro salad if you like.