Grilled Lamb Salad With Farro And Lemon Vinaigrette
This grilled lamb salad with farro and lemon vinaigrette combines farro with the robust flavor of marinated grilled lamb and grilled vegetables and more.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 leg of American lamb, butterflied 4-5lb
- 2 cups farro pearled
- 2 ears corn husks removed
- 1 bunch asparagus woody ends trimmed off
- 1 pint tomatoes (cherry or grape) sliced in half
- 2 shallots minced
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup parsley, flat leaf, chopped or 1 large bunch
For Lamb Marinade
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp rosemary dry or fresh
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp oregano dry or fresh
- 1 tsp black pepper, fresh ground preferably
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 lemons (will need juice and zest of all) (reserve zest for salad assembly)
- 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp oregano dry or fresh
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper, fresh ground to taste
Instructions
Prepare Lamb
- Trim any excess fat and/or gristle off of the butterflied lamb.
- Score the lamb being careful not to cut all the way through. This will allow the marinade to cover more of the lamb.
- Prepare Lamb Marinade
- Mix olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings in a bowl. Place lamb in a dish large enough to hold the marinade or a large zipper bag. Pour marinade over butterflied lamb being sure to cover all surfaces. Cover and refrigerate for 3-24 hours until ready to cook.
Prepare Farro
- Prepare farro according to package instructions: Note: Different types of farro may have different cook times. Rinse farro well. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tsp of salt. Add rinsed farro to boiling water. Return water to a boil then reduce heat to medium-high and boil uncovered until soft. For pearled farro approximately 30 minutes. Drain off cooking water and set aside. Farro may be made a day ahead of time if desired and stored in the refrigerator until needed.
Prepare Lemon Vinaigrette
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, dijon mustard, shallots, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk vigorously until well combined. Drizzle olive oil into the bowl slowly while continuing to whisk. After well combined, set aside.
Grill Lamb
- Remove the lamb from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Ideally, remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to grilling.
- Preheat grill to 400-425F. Set up the grill with both an indirect and direct cooking area.
- Place lamb over direct heat and turn every couple minutes until desired internal temperature is reached when measured with an instant read thermometer. Pull the lamb 10 degrees under the desired finishing temperature as there will be a rise in temperature once pulled from the grill. Rest lamb while preparing the rest of the ingredients. *see note for temperature recommendations.
Grill Corn And Asparagus
- Place ears of corn on the grill grate over direct heat. Rotate corn occasionally with tongs while lightly charring corn. Remove from the grill when corn is tender or after approximately 8 to 10 minutes. After the corn has cooled, cut the corn off the cob, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
- Remove woody ends of asparagus. Lightly toss asparagus in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill asparagus for approximately 4-5 minutes for thin asparagus or 6 to 10 minutes for thick asparagus or until tender. Slice asparagus into bite sized pieces. Set aside.
Assemble Salad
- In a large bowl, mix farro, grilled asparagus, shallots, corn, tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest and vinaigrette until well combined.
- When ready to serve, top with pine nuts and sliced lamb. (Note: do not top salad with nuts until ready to serve so they stay crunchy.
Notes
Finished temperature after rest: For medium rare 130-134 F, medium 135-144F. Remember to pull 10 degrees below your ideal finished temperature then wrap with foil until ready to slice. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise once off of the heat.
(Note: The USDA recommends a finished temperature of 145F with a 3 minute rest.)