Borough Market Grilled Lamb Sandwich, with The Works

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Honestly, you probably won’t need all of the lamb for six sandwiches (unless you really load them up with meat), but why not have some left over for more sandwiches the next day? Don’t fret if the muscles separate when you trim the meat; just grill them separately (of course the smaller ones will take less time to cook so take care not to overcook them.) Alternatively, if you have enough lamb left over from a previous meal (Easter or Passover?), go ahead and use that. If you don’t have to light a grill, you could certainly get away with jarred roasted peppers (make sure to blot them dry) and the sandwiches will be done in a jiffy.

Great ingredients shine in any sandwich, and this one is no exception. So go for peppery arugula (which, in my experience, is often sold in bunches rather than in bags or plastic containers), creamy feta (I like French if I can get it) and fleshy, deep red peppers.

The cucumber brings crunch and freshness to the sandwiches in any season, but if you make these in the summer while ripe local tomatoes are plentiful, you can’t go wrong adding some to the mix; I’d substitute about ⅓ cup of chopped, seeded tomato for the cuke on each sandwich (so you’ll need 2 cups of chopped tomatoes.)

Serve the sandwiches as soon as they’re ready, before the yogurt sauce and meat juices have too much opportunity to soak through the bread.

3-4 pounds butterflied, boneless leg of lamb
5 medium garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced and 1 pressed or grated to a paste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup chopped fresh mint
3 medium red bell peppers (about 8 ounces each), tops and bottoms trimmed; bodies cored, seeded, cut into wide, relatively flat planks and pressed to flatten
6 large fresh locally made pita breads or other thin flatbread like mountain bread or lavash
1¼ cups diced or crumbled high quality feta (about 5½ ounces)
1 large hothouse English cucumber, thinly sliced on the diagonal into at least 24 long ovals
3 cups (packed) arugula (about 3 ounces), washed and well-dried

If the lamb is rolled and tied, cut off and discard the twine or netting and unroll the meat. Trim the fat, gristle and silver skin from both the exterior and interior of the meat with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Cut any larger muscles to open and flatten them to an even thickness (roughly 1½ inches thick), consistent with the rest of the meat. Cut small slits all over the meat, stuff the slits with garlic slices, sprinkle the meat evenly with about 1 tablespoon salt and set it aside for 1 hour. Dry the meat well, rub it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle generously with pepper.

Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, pressed garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, mint, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use; just before using, taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Prepare a hot two-level fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on high for 15 minutes. (If using a gas grill, leave one burner on high, adjust the other(s) to medium heat, and grill with the lid closed.) Clean and oil the grill grate. Grill the lamb on the hot side of the grill (covered if using a gas grill), undisturbed (except in the case of flare ups, in which case squirt the flames with water or move the lamb to cool side of the grill until fire dies down again), until well-seared and dark brown, about 12 minutes over charcoal or 14 to 16 minutes over gas, turning the lamb over midway through the grilling time. If necessary, move the lamb to the cooler side and continue grilling (covered if using a gas grill) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers about 122°F for rare, about 125°F for medium-rare or about 130°F for medium, about 4 to 10 minutes longer, turning the lamb as necessary. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let rest while grilling and peeling the peppers, at least 20 minutes (temperature will increase while the meat rests.) Slice the lamb very thin, against the grain and on the bias.

While the lamb rests, grill the pepper pieces skin side down until the skin is charred and puffed, about 6 to 10 minutes. Place the charred peppers in a heat-resistant bowl, cover and steam to loosen the skins, about 5 to 8 minutes. Peel the peppers and slice into ½ -inch thick strips (you should have about 1½ cups.) Toss the pepper strips with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Assemble the sandwiches: Spread each pita with about yogurt sauce and top with a few slices of lamb, about ¼ cup grilled peppers, 3 generous tablespoons feta, 4 cucumber slices and about ½ cup of arugula. Roll sandwiches and secure with parchment paper or simply fold and eat like a taco.

This recipe appeared in the Spring 2020 issue as part of a larger story on Spring parties.