Ingredients
- 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
- Kosher salt
- 2 bunches fresh oregano, leaves finely chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for searing
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 butterflied leg of lamb, about 4 pounds
- 10 large Pita bread
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 5 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
- Tzatziki, recipe follows
Directions
Finely chop up 1/2 of the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Mash the garlic and salt together with the flat-side of a knife into a paste. Add the oregano and continue to mash until incorporated. Put the garlic-oregano paste in a small bowl, add the lemon juice and 1 cup of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Slice the remaining garlic into thin slivers.
Put the lamb on a large platter, and trim any excess fat. Cut the lamb in 1/2 lengthwise so you have 2 large pieces. Make slits all over the meat with a sharp knife, and push the garlic slivers inside. Rub 1/2 of the garlic-oregano paste all over the lamb and season the meat with salt and pepper. Roll up each piece of lamb lengthwise and tie with butcher's twine to hold the roasts together. Put the lamb on a large platter and slather with the remaining garlic-oregano paste. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Wipe off the excess paste from the lamb so it won't burn in the oven. Place a large roasting pan over 2 burners on medium-high flame and coat with a fair amount of olive oil. Put the lamb roasts in the roasting pan and sear to form a nice brown crust on all sides. Transfer the pan (and lamb) to the oven and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; it should be pink in the center and the internal temperature reads 130 degrees F. Allow the lamb to stand 10 minutes to let the juices settle before and slicing.
Cut off the butcher's twine and thinly slice the lamb. Place the meat in the center of the pita breads. Top with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and tzatziki.
Tzatziki (Yogurt And Cucumber Sauce):
3 cups plain yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry.
Yield: 4 cups















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By angela r
Jersey City, NJ
on April 23, 2013
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I made this for my family tonight. They loved it! I only had nonfat Greek yogurt, it still went well with. I noticed that someone made a comment about the meat not being like the restaurant's. What did you expect a leg of lamb to come out like? The commenter was expecting a boneless compressed piece of gyro meat. Perhaps, you should try ground lamb meat. I'm sure you will like that better. Overall, this recipe is a keeper! my kids even loved it and they are 1 and 8.
By jakelulah
on January 10, 2013
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The meat was delicious, but I do not recommend using the recipe for the tzatziki sauce. It didn't have a lot of flavor. I found one that added dill and garlic along with our cream and it was amazing with the meat!
By klwatt
on November 13, 2012
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The lamb was amazing! I did read other recipes for the tzatziki sauce and would recommend some of those tips: strain the yogurt with a cheesecloth over a bowl for an hour in the fridge. (I used no-fat greek yogurt and it was fine. Also, peel and seed the cukes, GRATE, put in a collander to drain, sprinkle a 1/2 tsp salt and let the salt draw out the moisture for 15-20 minutes before folding into the yogurt. I added minced garlic, a bit of dill and the mint and lemon juice as described in the recipe. My boys (who had never had gyros LOVED the meal (they are 13 and 15. We will make this again!!!!
Read all 21 reviews