There may be no meat better for grilling than boneless leg of lamb. It cooks reasonably quickly, usually in less than half an hour, but still develops an irresistibly crunchy crust. Even better, that crust can be flavored in minutes before it is cooked with any of a dozen combinations of seasonings. Marinating is unnecessary, as the meat itself has exquisite flavor and really needs no more than salt. The leg’s irregular shape virtually guarantees that every eater will be happy—lamb is the only meat good at every stage of doneness. When the thickest parts have cooked to rare, the ends will be well done, the parts in between medium. Boneless legs sold at supermarkets are sometimes wrapped in an elastic net to form them into a round roast. For grilling, remove this so the meat lies flat. If the larger end of the meat is three or more inches thick, you might cut a flap to make that lobe thinner and flatter so that it cooks more evenly. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife and working from the side of the lobe that faces the rest of the meat, make a horizontal cut about halfway down from top to bottom, most of the way through, and fold the meat out; in essence, you are butterflying the butterfly.

　　

Ingredients

makes at least 6 servings

　　One 3- to 4-pound butterflied leg of lamb

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　1 teaspoon minced garlic

　　1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried

　　1 tablespoon chopped or crushed fennel seeds

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat a grill or broiler until quite hot; put the rack 4 inches from the heat source.

　　

Step 2

Trim the lamb of excess fat. Mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper; rub this mixture well into the lamb, being sure to get some into all the crevices. (If time allows, it does no harm to let the prepared lamb sit in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; just return the meat to room temperature before grilling.)

　　

Step 3

Sear the meat over the hottest part of the grill until nicely browned on both sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Continue to cook with the grill covered or uncovered for 5 to 15 minutes longer, until the internal temperature at the thickest part is about 125°F. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

　　

Variations

Step 4

If grilling isn’t an option, you can cook this dish in the oven: Put the broiler rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Keep an eye on the lamb to prevent burning; the cooking time will be a little shorter. Or roast it in the middle of the oven, at 450°F, turning occasionally; the cooking time will be about the same.

　　

Step 5

Grilled Boneless Leg of Lamb with Coriander and Ginger: Use a combination of 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger, all minced or coarsely ground together; moisten with a little soy sauce.

　　

Step 6

Curried Boneless Leg of Lamb: Rub the lamb all over with 2 tablespoons curry powder mixed with 1/2 cup yogurt.

　　

Step 7

Grilled Soy-and-Ginger Boneless Lamb Leg: Rub the lamb all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon peeled minced or grated fresh ginger. Serve with lemon wedges.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.