BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC, ROSEMARY, AND MINT
The vin santo in the marinade helps the meat develop a tasty char on the outside, like a steak. Cook it mediumrare, or even medium; unlike a butter-flied beef tenderloin, for example, a butterflied leg of lamb always has some thicker and some thinner parts, which is actually a good thing—it means that when the meat is cooked, there will be something for everyone, some medium-rare, some medium, some a bit more done.
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup vin santo
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- 18 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed a bit with the  side of a heavy knife
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- One 4 ½- to 5-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and trimmed of excess fat (or one 7- to 8-pound bone-in leg, boned, butterflied, and trimmed)
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions:
- COMBINE THE OLIVE OIL, vin santo, mint, 6 of the garlic cloves, the salt, and the pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Make 12 small incisions in the fatty side of the lamb and insert one of the remaining bashed garlic cloves and some of the rosemary into each slit. Put the lamb in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over, turning to coat. Let stand at cool room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or overnight; turn the lamb occasionally as it marinates.
- If the lamb has been in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature. Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
- Remove the lamb from the marinade, draining it well, and pat dry. Pour the marinade into a small bowl. Place the lamb on the grill and cook, basting several times with the reserved marinade, for 10 to 12 minutes, until well charred on the first side. Turn and cook, basting several more times, for 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until well charred on the second side; the internal temperature should register 130°F for medium-rare. Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Carve the lamb into ¼-inch-thick slices and serve immediately.