Barbecue roasting a butterflied lamb leg or shoulder in a covered barbecue is a fast way to cook a lamb roast. Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly the lamb shoulder or leg for you.
Guide to barbecue roasting a boned, butterflied lamb leg or a shoulder.
- Check the weight of the lamb after the bone is removed to determine cooking time.
- Cook by indirect heat in a covered barbecue at 200ºC
- Rare 15-20 minutes (per 500g), Medium 20-25 minutes (per 500g).
You’ll find a butterflied lamb shoulder or leg has an uneven thickness, so the thinner parts will cook faster than the thicker parts, which naturally means some will be cooked a little more, some a little less.
Cooking to no more than a medium doneness will keep all of the meat juicy and not overcooked.
Barbecue roasting tips
- If you have enough time, take the lamb from the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking.
- If you are using a charcoal barbecue, light it 40 minutes before you want to start cooking.
- If you are using a gas barbecue, light it 10 minutes beforehand.
- Place the lamb in the centre of the barbecue, with the skin side up.
- Make sure there is no direct heat under the lamb. Burners directly under the lamb should be off, or coals pushed to the side.
- Cook the lamb once only on each side, turning it too often will toughen the meat. Lower the heat if it is cooking too quickly.
- Avoid lifting the barbecue lid too often (you lose about 10ºC to 15°C each time).
- Check if it’s ready just before the estimated cooking time is up, (see our guide with each recipe).
- Use tongs to test the roast’s doneness. Gently prod or squeeze the roast, rare is soft when pressed, medium is springy and well done is very firm.
- Give the lamb time to rest after cooking. This gives the juices in the meat a chance to redistribute, giving a moister and more tender result. Cover the roast loosely with foil and rest it for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Love garlic?
Here’s how to flavour a butterflied lamb with your favourite ingredient:
Peel two or three cloves of garlic and cover them with boiling water for a few minutes. Drain. then cut the garlic into thin pieces. This takes any raw flavour from the garlic, particularly if you like your lamb cooked to medium or medium rare. Make small incisions over the top of the lamb and push the garlic in.
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