braai.co.za

Butterflied leg of lamb

Name: Butterflied leg of lamb on the braai
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 8
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, 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

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? Hold your palm at grid height and count: 4 seconds is hot, 6–8 medium, 10+ gentle. The full fire-craft lives in the Fire & Wood guide.

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