Roast Leg of Lamb

Seriously, I've never posted a recipe for leg of lamb?  That's embarrassing.  Maybe I felt it was too basic.  It must not be, if I went looking for what temperature I usually roast it at.

This is one of those things that you want the meat to shine without too much interference.  Gentle seasonings that make sense, plus a slow roast at a low temperature after an initial blast to create a crust.  You probably have all the ingredients on hand and just need to buy the meat.

1 small leg of lamb (2-3 lbs boneless or 3-4 lbs bone-in)
*3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
Olive oil
*1/2 tsp dried rosemary
*mint jelly for serving (optional)

1.  Unwrap lamb and let it come to room temperature on a rack in a roasting pan, fat-side up, about half an hour.  I left the netting on this time because I liked the shape.  Most of the time I cut it off.

2.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Slice the garlic into thin slivers.  Pierce the meat all over and stuff with the garlic slices.  Because I left the netting on, the garlic kept squirting back out.  Usually, it stays in the slits.  Drizzle roast lightly with olive oil and spread around.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary.

3.  Roast for 20 minutes, until outside is getting a little browned.  Lower heat to 300º and roast until center is 145º when temped with a food thermometer.  This will take longer with a bone-in, but it generally takes 30 minutes to an hour and a quarter after the initial high roast, depending on size, bones, and whether you took off the netting.

4.  Allow meat to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.  I try to slice thinly so everyone can decide how well done they want their meat.  Serve with pan juices and mint jelly, or just extra salt and pepper on the table.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  π