Recipe: Leg of Lamb

This Thanksgiving I wanted to do something a little different – why not lamb!? The traditional turkey still made it to the table, don’t worry. Trying to find a good lamb cut was a little difficult. I called Grassy Lane Custom Meats, which is about 10 minutes from us, and I was offered a whole lamb. Ah, no thank you. I stopped at a few local butchers, but most were lamb roasts and I wanted something with the bone in. Oddly enough, our local grocery store had a leg of lamb. Score!

Ingredients

• leg of lamb, clearly!
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil and soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons of honey and dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• lemon (juice only)
• large sprig of rosemary
• 12-15 mint leaves
• salt and pepper

Put the lamb in a bowl. Chop the mint and the rosemary and mix together with all the other ingredients.  I marinated the lamb overnight – yes, I dragged my butt off the couch (in the middle of our Saturday night movie, I might add) to marinate the lamb…Bryce said it paid off. Score, again!

Pour marinade all over the leg – and work it in with your hands.  Before you do this, however, lay out some plastic wrap on the counter so you can wrap the lamb up for its sleepover in the fridge.

Lay the lamb on the plastic wrap and wrap up covering it at least 3 times.  Set in fridge overnight.

Now, ready to roast!  I don’t have a metal meat rack for roasting, so I improvised and used 2 forks. Why? They’ll keep the meat out of its own juices (if it sits in its juices, it’ll become soggy, mushy, and well, ugly).  Unwrap the lamb and place in the roasting dish.  Set in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (uncovered).  Drop oven temperature to 350 and continue cooking (still uncovered) for about 20 minutes per pound for medium.  (15 minutes per pond for medium-rare and 25 minutes per pound for medium-well).

Use a thermometer?
Rare: 140 degrees
Medium-Rare: 145-150 degrees
Medium: 155 degrees
Medium-Well: 160 degrees
Well: 165+ degrees

Carve and enjoy!

Recipe

Print Recipe

Leg of Lamb

Author: Ali

Servings: 6 people

This Thanksgiving I wanted to do something a little different – why not lamb!? The traditional turkey still made it to the table, don’t worry. Trying to find a good lamb cut was a little difficult. I called Grassy Lane Custom Meats, which is about 10 minutes from us, and I was offered a whole lamb. Ah, no thank you. I stopped at a few local butchers, but most were lamb roasts and I wanted something with the bone in. Oddly enough, our local grocery store had a leg of lamb. Score!

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time2 hours hours

Total Time2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

CourseDinner

CuisineAmerican

Ingredients

• 1 leg of lamb clearly!
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil and soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons of honey and dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• 1 lemon juice only
• 1 large sprig of rosemary
• 12-15 mint leaves
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Put the lamb in a bowl.
• Chop the mint and the rosemary and mix together with all the other ingredients.  I marinated the lamb overnight - yes, I dragged my butt off the couch (in the middle of our Saturday night movie, I might add) to marinate the lamb...Bryce said it paid off. Score, again!
• Pour marinade all over the leg - and work it in with your hands.  Before you do this, however, lay out some plastic wrap on the counter so you can wrap the lamb up for its sleepover in the fridge.
• Lay the lamb on the plastic wrap and wrap up covering it at least 3 times.
• Set in fridge overnight.
• Now, ready to roast!  I don't have a metal meat rack for roasting, so I improvised and used 2 forks. Why? They'll keep the meat out of its own juices (if it sits in its juices, it'll become soggy, mushy, and well, ugly).
• Unwrap the lamb and place in the roasting dish.
• Set in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (uncovered).
• Drop oven temperature to 350 and continue cooking (still uncovered) for about 20 minutes per pound for medium.  (15 minutes per pond for medium-rare and 25 minutes per pound for medium-well).
• Use a thermometer?
• Rare: 140 degrees
• Medium-Rare: 145-150 degrees
• Medium: 155 degrees
• Medium-Well: 160 degrees
• Well: 165+ degrees
• Carve and enjoy!