Rosemary, garlic and red wine lamb marinade
Dry red wine, olive oil, crushed garlic and fresh rosemary for lamb chops, a butterflied leg or a boned shoulder, marinated in the fridge for 2 to 12 hours.
- CoalsGas
- No fire needed
- Prep
- 10 min
- On the fire
- 0 min
- Plan ahead
- 2 to 12 hours marinating
- Serves
- makes about 250 ml (1 cup), enough for 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) lamb
- Done at
- 145°F (63°C)
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the wine, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, vinegar, honey, mustard and pepper in a jug until the honey dissolves. Leave the salt out for now.
- Put the lamb in a zip-seal bag or a glass or ceramic dish that holds it snugly. Pour the marinade over and work it into every side and any cuts in the meat.
- Press the air out of the bag and seal it, or cover the dish. Refrigerate, turning the meat once or twice so all of it sits in the wine.
- Marinate chops for 2 to 4 hours, and a butterflied leg or boned shoulder for 6 to 12 hours. Do not go past 24 hours or the wine softens the surface.
- Take the lamb out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Lift it out, scrape off the bits of garlic and rosemary that will burn, and pat it dry with paper towel. Season with salt.
- Braai chops over hot coals for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Sear a butterflied leg or shoulder over medium coals for 5 minutes a side, then move it to a cooler zone and cook with the lid closed for 30 to 50 minutes, turning now and then.
- If you want to baste with the used marinade, pour it into a small pot and boil it for 2 to 3 minutes first. Brush it on only in the last 10 minutes.
- Rest chops for 5 minutes and a leg or shoulder for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Done when: the lamb is well browned outside and a thermometer reads 63°C (145°F) in the thickest part, followed by a 5 to 15 minute rest. That is pink and juicy. For a slow shoulder, cook it on to 70°C (158°F) so the fat renders.
Tips
- Also good on beef rump or sirloin (4 to 8 hours marinating, 4 to 5 minutes a side on hot coals), venison steaks (4 to 8 hours, 3 to 4 minutes a side) and pork neck chops (2 to 6 hours, 5 to 6 minutes a side over medium coals, to 63°C (145°F)).
- Use a wine you would drink. Sweet or oaky wines turn bitter on the coals.
- Tie a few rosemary sprigs together and use them as a brush for the boiled baste.
Lamb, garlic and rosemary is an old pairing from the Mediterranean that found a home in the Cape, where rosemary grows in most gardens and red wine is never far away. The wine and vinegar add a little acid and colour, and the oil carries the herb into the meat. Use it on Karoo-style lamb chops in place of the dry spices, or on a butterflied lamb shoulder for a Sunday braai.
Source
Adapted from Lamb chops with red wine, rosemary and garlic butter at Kerrygold and Rosemary Garlic Grilled Lamb Chops at RecipeTin Eats.