Leg of Lamb

“Syrah tends to have a natural “meatiness” or “gaminess” to it that pairs well with stronger flavored meats. It also tends to have a pronounced smokiness which makes it great for grilling which is why I chose to do a grilled leg of lamb for this wine. You get the flavor of the meat mixed with the smokiness and char from the grill and it just makes for a great meal to pair with the Syrah.”
– Harry Wetzel IV, Family Owner and Assistant Winemaker

Ingredients:
4-5 lb. butterflied leg of lamb
2 cups AVV Estate Syrah
4 Tbsp. port, divided
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. ground mustard, coarse
2 Tbsp. thyme, dried
1 large bunch parsley, chopped
1 bunch chives, chopped
5 sprigs rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 shallot chopped
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
6 medium red onions
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Method of Preparation:
Place lamb in a large freezer bag. In a bowl mix together the wine, port, soy sauce, mustards, half of the thyme, parsley, chives, rosemary and 2 cloves of garlic crushed or chopped. Add the mixture to the freezer bag, seal and refrigerate for 24 hours. Mix all of the remaining herbs together, they can be stored together in a zip lock bag in the fridge overnight.

Remove lamb to sit at room temperature for 1 hour prior to cooking. Sauté the chopped shallot in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, add the marinade, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and remaining two 2 tablespoons of port and bring to a boil. Reduce the marinade mixture down to about 1 cup, strain the sauce and set aside.

Preheat oven to 475° degrees. Peel the onions and cut into quarters leaving the root end intact (this will keep onions from falling apart while roasting). Place them in a bowl and add olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the reduced marinade. Toss to coat. Place the onions in a medium roasting pan and roast in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, remove and baste with some more sauce. Return and continue cooking, basting as needed to prevent burning for about 30 more minutes, or until they are softened and have slightly charred edges.

When ready to begin grilling, sprinkle the lamb with salt, pepper and all but 1 tablespoons of the remaining herb mixture on all sides. Grill the lamb over hot coals for about 8 minutes per side and then remove to a cooler part of the grill, cover and cook for another 10– 15 minutes, or until the thickest part is medium rare.

Remove lamb from grill and place on cutting board, cover with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes slice the meat across the grain and assemble on a serving platter. Pour some of the reduced marinade over the meat and place the roasted onions around the perimeter. Sprinkle the last remaining herbs over all.