Photos courtesy of Russell Klein
Leg of Lamb BBQ from Meritage's Russell Klein
Meritage has been the best restaurant in St. Paul for a good many years, humming along in faultless French style, with Desta Klein out front greeting folks and Russell Klein in the kitchen. For a decade it has been connecting us Minnesotans to the New York City French kitchens upon which American cuisine depends.
(History lesson for restaurant obsessives: Klein came to Minnesota after the famed David Bouley restaurant he worked in, Danube, closed in the aftermath of 9/11. Before that, he had cooked at the long-lost La Caravelle, the team of which descended from New York's Le Pavilion, which basically means that Klein is Minnesota's living connection to Pierre Franey, Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and that string of founding American food royalty. All this makes him sound older than he is, but sometimes when you're a kid, you end up in a really important and historic kitchen, and there you are. Try the Billi Bi soup at Meritage if this kind of geeking out means anything to you.)
Anyhoo, there's not much to say about Meritage these days other than: It is great, it has been great, it stays great—there's not a lot of breaking news. I went to a press event there with Lidia Bastianich once and she leaned in halfway through lunch to point out her chicken and confide, "You know, this is really excellent." It was indeed so good that it bore remarking upon, and that about sums it up. People don't refuse lunch invitations to Meritage for reasons. Also, the sky is still blue, and the earth's core remains magnetic. But here's a news flash: Russell Klein sometimes leaves his restaurant and does stuff at home.
Russell Klein
Russell Klein Grilling
I know! It's almost too crazy to process. And what could Russell Klein possibly do at home? Did you guess that he cooks? Well, you guessed correctly. But it's totally different, because it's in his backyard!
I respectfully submit that this dish would be a very good thing to build a Game of Thrones viewing party around, because it is some very good roast beast, and looks positively medieval on the grill. "I like a whole beast," Klein told me. "There's something festive about a big hunk of meat on the bone. The most important thing though—this recipe is not bullshit. I do seriously make this for friends. For once, the chef’s recipe is really not bullshit." If you've ever wanted to up your grilling game, entertain and roll like the giants of food now is your chance, folks! Also you might get a taste of this BBQ lamb at the big Bastille Day celebration in St. Paul in July. You never know! But until then, just picture Russell and Desta in their backyard, drinking from their signature Meritage Govino glasses leftover from Oysterfest, with pooches Parker and Posey running around, drinking some red Bordeaux (probably a St. Emilion, Russell says, Desta's mad about them) with lamb sizzling on the grill. And this could be you, too! All you need is a leg of lamb, and this:
Russell Klein's Backyard BBQ Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 leg of lamb, bone-in, 9-10 lbs, trimmed
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 2 T. thyme, picked
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 T. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. Tabasco
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 8 oz. roasted garlic puree (see recipe below)
Directions
- In a food processor, roughly chop the herbs.
- Add the remaining ingredients and puree until a smooth paste is formed.
- Score the fat side of the lab leg in a nice cross-hatch pattern. This will help the fat render and the marinade to penetrate.
- Generously rub the garlic marinade over the entire lamb leg, being sure to get in all of the nooks and crannies. Don’t be afraid to use your hands and really rub it in. Allow the lamb to marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
- Prior to cooking, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow it to temper for at least 1 hour.
- Build your charcoal BBQ with the coals to one side, allowing for conductive heat.
- If you have a digital probe thermometer, place the probe in the thickest part of the meat, but not touching the bone.
- Cook the lamb in the center of the grill with the fat side up for about 1 hour. After an hour, turn the leg over and cook fat side down.
- Cook to an internal temperature of 130°F for medium rare, approximately one and a half hours. Allow the meat to rest 20-30 minutes covered with aluminum foil before carving.
Can be served with couscous or orzo salad and grilled vegetables.
Garlic Puree
Ingredients
- 8 oz. garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- Olive oil
Directions
- Place the garlic and herbs in a sauce pot and cover with the olive oil.
- Place over very low heat and cook until the garlic is completely tender, about 1 hour.
- Strain the garlic, discard the herbs and puree until smooth in a blender or food processor.
- Reserve the garlic oil for another use.
