GRILLED LAMB (ITALIAN-AMERICAN) Roast leg of lamb, not normally a feast that I'd think of in the summer time when serious oven roasting is contraindicated, becomes a relatively quick and simple option when you take it from the oven to the grill. The secret to making it easy? Start with a half leg (butt or shank end) and butterfly it, removing the bone and turning the meat into a grillable chunk that can be roasted to crusty-outside-pink-inside perfection in a remarkably short time. You don't have to be a skilled butcher to do this, just keep in mind that the thing isn't required to be pretty. Start with a sharp boning or butcher knife, slit down to the bone from the bottom of the piece of meat, and then just work your way around it, scraping the meat from the bone and pulling it gently away from the flesh until you've got the bone scraped clean and separated from the leg. Discard it (or throw it to the dog) and then push and fold the boneless meat into a rough oblong, using a couple of wooden toothpicks to hold it in shape if you're obsessive about that kind of thing. Then poke garlic slivers and fresh rosemary leaves into slits all over the lamb, rub in a little olive oil (for flavor and to keep it from sticking to the grill) and sprinkle it all over with freshly ground black pepper. Fire up the Weber kettle grill (or equivalent) for direct heat, building a good bed of RED hot coals, then close the vents about halfway to reduce the heat level to medium. Place the lamb on the grill, close the lid, and let it roast, turning every 10 minutes or so, for about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on its size and the level of doneness you desire. Remove, slice and serve! I served it with the 1991 Meeker Red Table Wine (90% Zinfandel), which went OK, although I wished too late that I had opened a Cabernet, Merlot or Bordeaux blend instead. The intensely jammy fruit and hot alcohol of a big Zin was just a little too much for lamb.
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