Grilled Marinated Lamb in Red Wine – a Venison Style Recipe
Grilled lamb is a favourite of many around the world. Marinating in red wine infuses maximum flavour while the acidity from the wine also tenderises the meat, and helps to keep it moist. This is a similar marinade as one to use for venison during fall season.
Making the marinade is a quick task and requires simply combining wine with herbs and spices. Depending on the size of the piece of meat marination might take from as little as half an hour to a few hours.
We served pan-fried courgette with the dish but you can choose any available vegetables.
Best piece of lamb to marinade
Lamb doesn’t really need to be marinated as it is tender naturally. However, lamb leg is a great choice for marinades. Besides tenderising the piece of meat even more, marinades are mainly used to inject different aromas and lift the flavour to the next level.
Best wines for marinades
Some people feel that the marinade should be made with the same wine that will be served with the meal. The wine does not need to be the most expensive, but it should taste good and preferably be medium-bodied to balance well with the meat. If the wine for marination is different, we recommend choosing a wine of the same grape as what will be served with the meat.
Grilled Lamb Marinated in Red Wine
EQUIPMENT (click pictures for details)
Ingredients
- 400 gr deboned leg of lamb
For the marinade
- 200 ml red wine cabernet sauvignon or merlot
- 50 ml port wine
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 pc sprig thyme
- 1 pc bay leaf
- 1 tsp crushed white peppercorns
For the sauce
- The liquid from the marinade
- 60 ml lamb stock
- 15 gr cold unsalted butter
For the seasoning
- 1 tbsp Maldon salt or fleur de sel
- 1 tsp crushed white peppercorns
- 1 tsp crushed pink peppercorns
- 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
- ½ pc lemon zest
Instructions
Marinate the lamb
- Bring all ingredients for the marinade to the boil for a minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate.Remove from the stove and let it cool.
- Submerge the lamb into the cold red wine marinade and leave at room temperature for 60 minutes.
- Prepare the seasoning by combining all ingredients together.
Prepare the sauce
- When the lamb is removed after marination time, bring the marinade to the boil to reduce by half. Remove any impurities with a skimmer.Add the lamb stock and cook until thickened.Whisk the butter parcels into the sauce and season to taste.
Cook the lamb
- Grill the lamb over a high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side until a crust is formed.
- Place the grilled lamb onto a wire rack to rest and cover with thin foil for 5 minutes.
Service
- Cut the lamb leg into thin slices or medallions.
- Spoon the red wine sauce onto the plate, arrange the lamb and vegetables of your choice on top.Sprinkle some of the seasoning mix on the meat.
