Today we’re super excited to have BBQ Enthusiast James McKay here with us sharing a delicious BBQ leg of lamb recipe. James runs a YouTube channel called Barbechoo, where you can learn heaps of top tips and skills for mastering the BBQ alongside some fab recipes and reviews. So without further ado here is everything you need to know to recreate this delicious dish…

Temperatures

The lamb is lifted off the BBQ at 60° C, the internal temperature will continue to rise by a few degrees while the meat rests. Keep this in mind when choosing your level of doneness.

Medium: 60-65°C

Medium Well: 65-70°C

Well done: 70-75°C

Ingredients

• Leg of Lamb, with bone removed​

For the Ras El Hanout Seasoning

• 2 tsp Cumin Seeds (lightly toasted)
• 2 tsp Coriander Seeds (lightly toasted)
• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground Ginger
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper ( Use ½ tsp if you like it hot)
• ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg

For the Moroccan Couscous

• 300g Couscous
• 500ml Vegetable Stock
• 1 Red Onion, Finely diced
• 1 Red Pepper, Finely diced
• 1 Green Pepper, Finely diced
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 1 Red Chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Ras El Hanout Seasoning
• 130g Chickpeas (I cold smoked mine, but this is optional)
• 100g Pine Nut

Directions

• If you have a full leg of lamb, remove the shank and leg bone leaving you with a boneless joint. Butterfly your leg of lamb by slicing into it using a sharp knife and folding it out flat (like a book).
• In a Pestle and Mortar, grind your Cumin seeds and Coriander seeds to a fine powder then mix in all the other Ras El Hanout ingredients.
• Season the lamb on all sides then leave it to rest for a few minutes. This will allow the seasoning to mix with the moisture of the lamb and stick to the surface.
• Light your charcoal and add it to the BBQ. Create 2 cooking zones by placing all the charcoal on one half of the BBQ and leaving the other half empty.

• The lamb will be seared directly over the coals however by the time the centre of the lamb reaches our target temperature of 60° C, the outside would be burnt. To avoid this, you can sear the lamb on all sides for 2-3 minutes each side then move it to the area with no coals beneath it.
• Close the lid of your BBQ and the Lamb will continue to cook but won’t take on colour quite so fast. Think of it as searing something in a frying pan then placing it in the oven to finish cooking.
• You want to lift the lamb off the BBQ when it reaches an internal temperature of 60° C. A few degrees before it reaches this temperature, place a cast iron skillet over the coals to pre-heat with a little oil in it.
• Though the lamb is lifted off the BBQ at 60° C, the internal temperature will continue to rise by a few degrees while the meat rests so keep this in mind when choosing your level of doneness.
• 60-65° C will give you nice, pink medium lamb. 65-70° C would be medium well and 70-75° C would be well done.

• Cover the lamb with foil while you prepare the couscous.
• Add the dry couscous to a large bowl and add the freshly made vegetable stock. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave it to one side for 15 minutes to allow the couscous to soften.
• Add the onion, peppers, garlic and chilli to the pre-heated skillet and sauté them until soft. Next add the pine nuts and chickpeas.
• I cold smoked the chickpeas for 8 hours to give them a smokey flavour, but you can skip this step if you wish.
• Finally season the vegetables with the Ras El Hanout seasoning and stir, covering everything in the spices.
• Fluff the softened couscous with your hands then mix in the veg. Carve your rested lamb leg and serve.

• The benefit to cooking lamb this was is that the thinner parts of the butterflied leg will be slightly more well done and the thicker parts are still nice and medium so there is something for everyone to enjoy.

James McKay

Food Blogger

@barbechoo

"Hi I'm James, Northern Ireland based BBQ fanatic and long term Thermapen Fan Boy! I can't think of another gadget that has helped me and so many of my viewers gain the confidence to cook different cuts of meat on the BBQ and know they are perfectly cooked on the inside every time."