Leg of Lamb
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A satisfying and affordable roast, a leg of lamb is often the perfect option. Its less expensive than a rack, and the cooking time is less critical than for both a rack and a saddle. You can buy a half leg of lamb, the shank or butt end, or you can buy it whole. If you buy the butt end or a whole leg of lamb, you're best off boning out the pelvic bone and chine bone at the wide end of the leg, both of which make it hard to carve. To describe the rather intricate system of bones is impossible, but if you start cutting, keeping the knife against bone, you'll finally arrive at the joint where the whole assembly connects to the shank bone; cut through the joint and remove the set of bones. Leg of lamb comes from the wholesaler covered with a thin, papery membrane called the fell, which should be trimmed off along with any thick sections of fat. Leave a thin layer of fat covering the meat, which will make the roast self-basting and keep it from drying out. Tie the leg with long lengths of string that reach from one end to the other to keep the loose flaps (generated from the boning) tightly against the rest of the meat. Leg of lamb tastes best when roasted rare to medium-rare. Makes 8 to 10 main-course servings.
ingredients
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serves: 8
1 (8-pound) bone-in leg of lamb
Salt
Pepper
1 pound lamb stew meat (cut into 1-inch cubes or strips) (optional)
1/2 cup water or broth
Nutrition Facts
Leg of Lamb
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount per Serving
Calories: 112
- Total Fat: 5.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 313 mg
- Total Carbs: 4.6 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
- Sugars: 0.7 g
- Protein: 12 g
preparation
1. Cut along the underside of the pelvic bone, keeping the knife against the bone.
2. Cut into the joint that connects the whole pelvic section to the rest of the leg and detach the pelvic bones.
3. Trim off the thin skin that covers the outside of the leg.
4. Spread flavorful mixtures such as the garlic and thyme shown here over the exposed meat of the leg.
5. Tie the leg lengthwise with string, folding the exposed meat over the joint.
6. Season the leg and place it in a roasting pan with trimmings, bones, and aromatic vegetables. Roast at 400°F until the internal temperature reaches 125°F. Let the leg rest, loosely covered with foil, for 20 minutes.
7. Hold the leg by the bone and carve lengthwise along the thick side of the leg.
8. When you reach the bone, turn the leg around and carve along the other side.
9. Continue slicing until you have cut as much as you plan to serve. The inner slices will be rarer than the first slices you cut.
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