Whole-Animal Cooking Recipes: Grilled Leg of Lamb with Salsa Rossa

All photography by Gary Payne.

Recipe by Urban Kitchen Group’s (UKG) executive chef Tim Kolanko.

Serves 6

Salsa Rossa

• 2 red bell peppers
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh marjoram, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh mint, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

To make the salsa

Char the peppers over an open flame until the skins are all black, let cool, then peel, de-seed and finely chop.

Put all the salsa ingredients, except the peppers, oil, tomatoes and lemon juice into a food processor. Process while slowly adding the oil.

Add the peppers and tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon juice, and season to taste with salt.

Marinade

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 sprigs rosemary, chopped
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon
• 3 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup coarse sea salt

To make the lamb leg

Mix the garlic and rosemary with the olive oil.

Rub the lamb leg down with the cut side of a lemon.

Rub the leg with the garlic-herb oil and black pepper. Refrigerate overnight.

Just before grilling, generously
season the meat with sea salt.

Grill slowly, rotating often until the internal temperature is about 128°F (about 1-1 1/2 hours).

Remove from heat, and let the leg rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Pair it with: Citrus Roasted Beets with Sheep’s Milk Ricotta and Candied Pistachio Vinaigrette

Serves 6

• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup pistachios, shelled
• 6 oz. extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
• 1/2 cup white-balsamic vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 3 oranges, 1 sliced into 1/8-inch slices, peel on
• 1 lemon, sliced into 1/8-inch slices, peel on
• 3 bunches medium-size beets
• 12 oz. sheep’s milk ricotta cheese
• 1 bunch arugula

To make the vinaigrette

In a small saucepan, bring the simple syrup and pistachios to a boil. Drain the pistachios and spread them out on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Put in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes until they are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Once cool, roughly chop the pistachios.

Combine 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the vinegar and 1/2 cup of the pistachios, and season with salt.

To make the beets

Arrange the citrus slices on a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Then lay the whole beets on top of the citrus slices and season with salt and about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap the foil around the beets and form a tight package. Cook

them in a 400°F oven until the beets are tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife, approximately 30 minutes. Unwrap the beets and let them cool enough to handle.

Peel the beets while still warm (not hot), cut them into wedges and season with salt and a spoonful of the vinaigrette.

Peel the remaining two oranges and cut them into segments. Arrange the beets on a platter, put the orange segments on top, add a dollop of ricotta cheese, garnish with arugula and spoon the vinaigrette over the top.