LegButterflied Leg of Lamb Over Charcoal
Boned and opened flat, a leg of lamb goes from a three hour roast to a forty five minute grill, with far more surface for char and a built-in range of doneness for people who disagree about it.
ChopsLamb Chops Straight Over the Coals
Fat, bone and a fierce fire. Lamb chops are one of the few things that genuinely benefit from the flare-ups everyone else spends their time avoiding.
SausagesSheftalia, Cypriot Caul Fat Sausages
Minced pork and lamb wrapped in caul fat, which melts as it cooks and bastes the meat from the outside in. There is nothing else quite like them.
SkewersAdana Kebab, Turkish Lamb Skewers
Hand-minced lamb with tail fat and red pepper, moulded onto wide flat skewers. The fat content is not negotiable and it is why this tastes like nothing you can buy.
SkewersGrilled Lamb Koftas
Spiced minced lamb moulded onto skewers, the Middle Eastern cousin of the Turkish kebab. The trick is kneading the mince until it is tacky so it grips the skewer.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butterflied Leg of Lamb Over Charcoal | Two-zone cooking | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 45 min | 55°C (130°F) |
| Lamb Chops Straight Over the Coals | Direct heat | 290°C (550°F) and above | 8 min | 55°C (130°F) |
| Sheftalia, Cypriot Caul Fat Sausages | Direct heat | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 20 min | 75°C (165°F) |
| Adana Kebab, Turkish Lamb Skewers | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 10 min | 70°C (160°F) |
| Grilled Lamb Koftas | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 12 min | 70°C (160°F) |
Techniques used
Direct heat. Food straight over the coals. Fast, fierce, and finished before the inside overcooks. Two-zone cooking. Coals banked to one side: a searing zone and a gentle zone in one grill. The single most useful technique in charcoal cooking.
Cookers these suit
Drum smokers. Foukou rotisseries. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Korean table grills. Portable grills.