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Butterflied leg of lamb

Name: Butterflied leg of lamb
Prep time: 4 h
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 4 h 55 min
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 1 leg of lamb (2–2.5 kg), deboned and butterflied; 250 ml plain yoghurt; Juice and zest of 1 lemon; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 sprigs rosemary, needles chopped; 3 tbsp olive oil; Salt and coarse black pepper

The Sunday centrepiece, revived from this site's 2010 blog. A deboned, flattened leg cooks evenly over coals in under an hour and slices like a dream — ask your butcher to butterfly it, and give it a night in the yoghurt marinade.

Medium coals · 8-second hand test Serves 8 1 hour + marinating

A butterflied leg of lamb, flat on the grid.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb (2–2.5 kg), deboned and butterflied
250 ml plain yoghurt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs rosemary, needles chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and coarse black pepper

Method

Whisk the yoghurt, lemon, garlic, rosemary and oil into a marinade; season it properly.
Score the thickest parts of the lamb so it lies roughly flat, then coat it in the marinade — at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Braai flat over medium coals, fat side down first, turning every 10 minutes or so: 35–45 minutes for blushing pink at the thick end (60–63 °C on a thermometer, if you own one — you should).
Rest 10 minutes under foil, then slice across the grain. The thin ends are well done, the thick middle is pink — every guest gets exactly what they argue for.

Engineer's view

Read left to right: ingredients merge into steps, steps merge into supper.

Ingredient	Process →
Leg of lamb 2–2.5 kg, butterflied	Score the thick parts flat	Marinate 4 h or overnight	Medium coals · fat side first · turn every ±10 min · 35–45 min → 60–63 °C	Rest 10 min under foil → slice across the grain
Yoghurt 250 ml	Whisk into a marinade; season well
Lemon juice & zest
Garlic 4 cloves
Rosemary 2 sprigs, chopped
Olive oil 3 tbsp
Salt & pepper

Which fire, and which day? Medium coals, the 8-second hand test. Hold your palm at grid height and count: 4 seconds is hot, 6 is hot-medium, 8 is medium, 10 or more is gentle. The full reading is the hand test, and the wood that makes those coals is in the wood guide. Buying notes: a butterflied leg. Thursday 24 September is National Braai Day.

Questions the fire actually gets

How long should butterflied lamb marinate?

At least four hours, ideally overnight, in yoghurt, lemon, garlic, rosemary and oil. Score the thickest parts so the leg lies roughly flat.

How long do you braai a butterflied leg?

Over medium coals, the 8-second hand test, fat side down first, turning every 10 minutes or so: 35–45 minutes for blushing pink at the thick end, about 60–63 °C. Rest 10 minutes under foil, then slice across the grain.

What should I ask the butcher for?

A leg of lamb, 2–2.5 kg, deboned and butterflied. It is the piece that feeds eight people from one fire. The lamb section on The Cuts is the buying note.

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