Little roast, big taste - lamb, turkey, and pork roats - Recipe

Sunset, August, 2001 by Paula Freschet

The word roast conjures images of grand holiday dinners following loving but lengthy watches in the kitchen tracking the slowly rising internal temperature of behemoth pieces of meat. But adjust the size and the setting, and a roast can bring manageable flair to a summer dinner party.

Many small cuts of meat take well to dry heat: boned turkey breast and thighs, lamb loin, and pork tenderloin, for instance. We've stuffed and seasoned these variously with cheeses, herbs, and spices, and tied them into roasts--steps that in every case can be done a day ahead of time. And when you put the heat to them outdoors--that is, pop them on the grill--they make great warm-weather fare.

Spiced Lamb Loin with Grilled Ratatouille

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

NOTES: Have the butcher bone a lamb loin (1 3/4 to 2 lb.; make sure you don't get a tenderloin) and roll and tie it to make a roast about 8 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. You can prepare roast (through step 2) up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Grill chilled roast 50 to 60 minutes.

MAKES: 4 servings

1 fat-trimmed lamb loin, boned, rolled, and tied (about 1 lb. boned; see notes)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Grilled ratatouille (recipe follows)

Fresh thyme sprigs (optional), rinsed

Salt and pepper

1. Rinse and dry lamb.

2. In a blender, combine olive oil, shallots, garlic, thyme leaves, lemon peel and juice, mustard, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and cayenne; whirl until coarsely pureed. Brush 1/4 cup spiced oil all over lamb; save remaining for grilled ratatouille (recipe follows).

3. Prepare barbecue for indirect heat according to instructions in box, page 132. Cook lamb loin until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reaches 135[degrees] for medium-rare, 25 to 30 minutes, or until it's as done as you like.

4. Transfer roast to a platter and, keeping it warm, let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Surround with grilled ratatouille, and garnish with thyme sprigs if desired. Cut roast into thin slices and add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 248 cal., 54% (135 cal.) from fat; 26 g protein; 15 g fat (3.9 g sat.); 1 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 87 mg sodium; 81 mg chol.

Grilled ratatouille. Rinse, stem, and seed 1 yellow bell pepper (about 6 oz.); cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Rinse 2 zucchini (3 to 4 oz. each) and trim and discard ends; cut zucchini crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Rinse 2 Asian eggplants (4 oz. each) and trim and discard ends; cut egg-plants crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds. Rinse and stem 2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 1 1/4 in. wide, about 3/4 lb. total). Thread vegetables onto thin metal skewers at least 14 inches long, with a single kind of vegetable on each skewer (for zucchini and eggplants, run skewers crosswise from edge to edge through rounds). Brush vegetables with remaining spiced oil.

When lamb has cooked 10 minutes, place bell pepper, zucchini, and eggplants on grill directly over heat; cook, turning once, until browned and tender when pierced, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes 20 minutes after starting meat and cook, turning once, until barely tender when pierced, about 5 minutes. Push vegetables from skewers and arrange around lamb loin roast. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Per serving: 230 cal., 82% (189 cal.) from fat; 2.1 g protein; 21 g fat (2.8 g sat.); 11 g carbo (2.5 g fiber); 56 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

SMALL -- ROAST TECHNIQUE

Indirect grilling

* If using charcoal briquets, mound and ignite 60 briquets on the firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. When briquets are dotted with gray ash, in 15 to 20 minutes, push equal amounts to opposite sides of firegrate. Add 5 more briquets to each mound of coals now and after 30 minutes, if grilling takes longer than that.

* If using a gas barbecue, turn all the burners to high, close lid, and heat for 10 minutes. Then adjust burners for indirect cooking (heat on sides of grill, not down center under food) and keep on high.

Set a drip pan on firegrate between coals or burners. Set barbecue grill in place. Set roast in center of grill, not over heat. Cover barbecue; open vents for charcoal. Cook as directed in recipe.

Thai-seasoned Turkey Thigh Roast with Fresh Herbs

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/4 hours

NOTES: Have the turkey thighs boned and skinned at the meat market. Asian fish sauce and red chili paste are available in well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian grocery stores. You can assemble the roast (through step 2) up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. If herb mixture sticks to plastic wrap, scrape off and pat back onto roast. Grill chilled roast 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

MAKES: 4 to 5 servings

2 boned, skinned turkey thighs (about 3/4 lb. each; see notes)