Name: Butterflied Lamb Raan on the Kamado Joe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 d 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 leg of lamb, surface fat removed and butterflied; 10 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers; 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 3 tbsp melted ghee, for basting; Flaky sea salt, to taste; FOR THE MARINADE; 4 tbsp mustard oil, brought to smoking point in a pan and then allowed to cool.; 6 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp tandoori masala; 4 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste); 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper; 6 generous tablespoons crispy fried onions, shop bought fine; 1 tbsp salt, plus extra to taste; 2 tbsp white distilled vinegar; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 500g (2 cups) Greek yoghurt, whisked

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Lamb raan is so good done this way!

There is nothing like a traditional Indian lamb Raan.

The flavours are amazing. Today, however I decided to make my lamb raan a bit different to the authentic way of cooking it.

I promise you... Try this and you'll be hooked. Juicy medium-rare lamb just doesn't get much better!

Butterflied lamb raan — I think I'll be cooking my lamb raans like this from now on!

So what's different about this lamb raan?

Lamb raan is usually marinated and slowly cooked, covered in the oven until well-done and tender. It is also almost always cooked on the bone for flavour.

I decided that the top quality leg of lamb sent to me by my friends at Swaledale Butchers is far too good to cook well done.

So I butterflied it and let it soak in a marinade for 3 days. Then I fired up the Kamado Joe and turned this classic recipe into something even better.

Although I do agree that cooking meat on the bone does add to the flavour, this marinade is all you need to cook lamb raan to perfection.

Can I use other cuts of meat?

Yes. In fact, lamb raan is traditionally cooked with mutton or goat.

This is why it is usually slowly cooked until well-done. These meats need to cook longer than lamb to become tender.

So if using mutton or goat, I recommend cooking it the traditional way, low and slow until cooked through.

Planning ahead...

If you want to eat lamb raan at a restaurant, you usually need to call ahead because the marination time is very important.

So you will need to plan ahead if you want to make this.

Let the lamb raan marinate for at least 24 hours. 48 to 72 hours is even better.

I don't have a Kamado Joe. Can I still make this recipe?

Yep. The Kamado Joe does make it easier as it comes with heat deflectors that make roasting over indirect heat.

You could use any kettle barbecue though.

Just fire up you charcoal and pour it all on one side of your barbecue. Then place a drip tray on the other side that is half full of water. The water will help ensure your meat cooks to perfection as it heats up and steams.

This isn't necessary with a Kamado Joe and other types of ceramic barbecues.

Step by step photos.

Leg of lamb — Here's the amazing leg of lamb I received from Swaledale Butchers!

Let of lamb with fat trimmed off. — Remove most of the fat and sinew from the leg. The fat can be used in other barbecue recipes and curries.

Remove the bone by cutting as closely around it as you can. You could also ask a butcher to do this.

Preparing butterflied lamb raan — Score the meat all over to flatten it. This also gives you a larger surface area for the marinade. Make slits for the slivered garlic.

Marinating lamb raan — Rub the first marinade all over the meat and let rest while you prepare the second marinade.

Lamb in second marinade — Whisk the second marinade ingredients together and rub it right into the meat.

Lamb leg in marinade — Place in a bowl and cover to marinade for at least 24 hours. I let mine marinate for 72 hours.

Lighting barbecue — When ready to cook, heat up your charcoal in a chimney starter. I used a mixture of restaurant grade Lump wood and charcoal briquettes from Big K.

Let's talk charcoal...

A good quality charcoal made without any nasty smelling igniting chemicals is always going to be best!

I get my charcoal from Big K.

As I was cooking this meat for a good 30 minutes on indirect heat, I chose slow burning briquettes that maintain a good heat. I also mixed in some lump wood for flavour.

Checking roast temperature — I recommend getting a good thermometer so that you hit the right temperature. I use a Thermapen smoke and also the classic Thermapen.

Check temperature of meat — When the Thermapen reaches 51c, it's time to take it off.

Grilling meat — Cover your BBQ and bring it up to about 370c700f by opening the bottom and top vents all the way. This is the perfect grilling temperature.

Charring lamb raan — Char on both sides for a couple of minutes to finish. Then transfer to a carving board and let rest for about 15 minutes.

plated lamb raan — Serve with a good raita. I used a coriander raita. You could also heat up the remaining marinade which makes a delicious sauce.

If you like this lamb raan recipe, you might like to try some of these too...

Railway lamb curry
Kashmiri lamb rista
Keralan lamb curry
Crispy stir fried lamb

Yield: 6