Crushed-Herb Lamb

Directions

1. 1
   Trim and discard fat and any transparent membrane from surface of lamb.
2. 2
   Peel garlic and shallots and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slivers. Pierce lamb all over with the tip of a small knife and insert garlic and shallots into cuts (lamb will look like a porcupine). Also tuck 2 teaspoons rock salt into cuts, spacing evenly over meat.
3. 3
   Mix thyme, rosemary, pepper, and olive oil. Pat mixture all over the lamb.
4. 4
   If cooking over charcoal briquets, ignite 60 briquets on firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. When coals are dotted with gray, about 25 minutes, push an equal number of coals to opposite sides of grate. Add 5 briquets to each mound of coals. Put a foil drip pan between coals. Set grill in place.
5. 5
   If using a gas barbecue, turn heat to high and close lid for at least 10 minutes. Adjust burners for indirect grilling (heat on parallel sides of grill but not in center). Set a drip pan between burners and put grill in place.
6. 6
   Put lamb on grill over drip pan, but not directly over heat. Cover barbecue; open all vents. (If cooking over charcoal, after 30 minutes add 5 more briquets to each mound of coals.) Cook until a meat thermometer inserted through thickest part of meat to bone registers 125° for rare (1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes), or 135° for medium-rare (about 1 hour and 10 to 30 minutes).
7. 7
   Transfer meat to a platter and let rest 10 minutes. Carve, and salt to taste.