Wood Fired Roast Lamb Leg on a Tripod

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A whole leg of wood fired roast lamb is a great special occasion dish when you want to cook outside. If you love outdoor cooking and haven’t used an iron tripod yet, chef demonstrates using one in the video in this post. It’s a great lamb recipe to make for a special occasion, or if you just feel like some outdoor cooking over wood fire.

Lamb Leg Roasted on Tripod

Chef’s note: One important thing to know about suspending a leg over fire is that you’ll need a lamb leg with the shank attached, so that a hook can be put through two muscles together to firmly secure the leg. Shepherd Song can easily provide custom cuts like this, just send us a message!

How to Make Lamb Leg Roasted on a Tripod

Start by making cuts in the lamb and inserting garlic and sprigs of rosemary. This can be done the night before for a richer flavor.

Build a large fire of hardwood and charcoal. The smoke from fruit wood such as apple or cherry will add additional flavor, and you continue feeding for about 3 hours or so before cooking so that you develop a deep bed of hot, glowing embers. The leg should be basted about every fifteen minutes throughout the cooking process. The surface should not be allowed to burn while developing a consistently dark, rich glaze. Alternatively, the lamb leg can be slowly roasted in the oven.

Build a fire and use a hook to hang the meat over the fire. The video shows the process, so make sure to watch it if you’re going to attempt Chef’s recipe. After the meat is cooked it’s allowed to rest and is drizzled with brine to finish. In the video Chef serves it with a salad of roasted squash and chestnuts but you can serve it with your favorite accompaniments.

Drizzle with brine

This recipe is by chef Ben Spangle r. Hailing from Minnesota, Ben draws from his Midwestern roots to create dishes that are unpretentious and delicious. Ben has competed on national television for the Food Network and appeared on local Minneapolis food networks. He is currently executive chef at Mercy in Minneapolis.

Chef Ben Spangler.

Looking to buy lamb or goat online? Shepherd Song Farm: Grass to table. We raise lambs & goats traditionally, humanely and sustainably. 100% Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Never Confined, no Hormones, Grains or Animal Byproducts. Born, raised and processed in the U.S.A. Good for you and good for the environment.

More Roast Lamb Recipes

Roast Saddle of Lamb with Herbs

Slow Roasted Harissa Lamb Shoulder

Slow Roasted Rack of Goat

Wood Fired Roast Lamb Leg on a Tripod

A whole leg of lamb roasted on a tripod over an open fire.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Servings People

Calories 351kcal

Equipment

1 cast iron tripod
1 carving knife

Ingredients

Lamb Leg

Whole leg of lamb with shank
1 garlic clove sliced optional
4 rosemary sprigs
1 small bunch of thyme chopped
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Brine

4 Tablespoons of salt
2 oz red wine vinegar
1 Buddha’s hand zest or lemon zest
1 shallot minced
1 oz tarragon chopped
1 small bunch parsley chopped
3 sliced Thai chili peppers
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 cup water

Salad

1 acorn or other squash
Small handful of salad greens pictured are dandelions
1 ½ cups chestnuts
¼ cup ricotta cheese
1 oz micro greens
Olive oil

Instructions

For the Brine

Add salt, minced shallots, chopped tarragon and parsley, sliced Thai chilis, cayenne pepper, oregano, red wine vinegar, Budda hand zest in a cup container, then add the water. The brine is better if made the day before so flavors can develop.

Lamb Leg Seasonings

Shell and slice garlic into small chunks.
Roughly chop rosemary and thyme.
Make small diagonal slits across leg and then crosshatched.
Rub with salt and pepper extensively.
Insert garlic cloves (optional) and rosemary and thyme sprigs into slits.
Lightly dust with oregano and cayenne pepper.
Use a large meat hook to puncture through top half of shank and two muscle groups to ensure a strong hold.

Squash Salad

Slice acorn squash ¼” thick and then score each chestnut without cutting into flesh.
Roast chestnuts until they crack open (about 15-20 min) while turning to prevent burning. Cool the chestnuts, then peel. Reserve the chestnut meat.
Pan roast slices of acron squash on low heat until cooked through and reserve.

Roasting The Leg on a Tripod

Hang on tripod over the fire.
Make certain coal or wood is evenly distributed and not too hot as leg needs to roast slowly.
Add coals when necessary.
Splatter with brine every 20 min a few teaspoons at a time on all sides.
Rotate if possible.
Alternative: If using an oven be sure to cover with tinfoil and roast at a low temperature. At the end, turn your oven high for 10 minutes to brown and crisp the surface.
When lamb leg reaches 120-130⁰ F in the center of the muscle remove from heat.
Allow the lamb leg to rest after it comes to temperature for 15 minutes before slicing.

Finish and Serve

The outside of the leg will be more well done than the inner. Be sure to use the meat thermometer to determine rare to medium, or well done temperatures.
Reheat squash slices in a hot pan before plating.
Plate greens first, then squash and parsley.
Season squash with oil, salt and pepper.
Garnish with ricotta cheese, micro greens and roasted chestnuts.
Thinly slice lamb leg.
Drizzle with ½ teaspoon of brine.