Grilled Lamb with Baharat Spice Mix

0:00It's April 1st. From your city to your ears, this is Vancouver News today, powered by AI. Ever wonder how a Turkish spice mix can transform a simple leg of lamb into something epic? Today, we're diving into grill leg of lamb, rub with baharat, a blend that packs cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, cloves and more, plus mint and oregano. It serves 6 to 8 people and starts with a 3 to 4 pound boneless leg. This recipe comes from a cookbook called Repertoire, inspired by Isan Gerdal, owner of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He grew up in Turkey and turned a lot of American cooks onto baharat, using it to season lamb like a pro. You can buy a pre-made or whip up your own with easy pantry staples. Cooks love it because those warm holiday spices make the meat juicy and flavorful, way beyond basic grilling. Stir it with harissa for heat or a cool cucumber yogurt salad with lemon, garlic and pepper.

1:00The key is marinating overnight or up to 2 days for max taste. To make it, butterfly the lamb by slicing thicker parts almost due to even it out, trim excess fat but keep some for basting, then salt and coat. Every inch with the spice mix and olive oil, let it chill, then bring to room temp before hitting the grill over medium heat, watching for flare ups. Fire up your grill this weekend. Press it then when done and you'll have folks raving about that smoky, spice perfection straight from Turkish roots.