My telephone rang… my mother again, raving about a lamb leg that I prepared seven years ago. She would like to have the recipe see, so I told her again that there is no recipe. I do not think that she believed me though, she always asks me for it. Enough is enough people, there is no recipe! There is a method to the madness though. This post will attempt to re-create that.
The key is to remember a mantra: “Low and Slow”. What does that mean? Sound like a bad dish at a Chinese buffet?
“Hai! May I help you?”
“Is there any MSG in that dish there?”
“Low and slow? No! MSG!”
Low and slow refers to the cooking method. You want to cook the piece of meat at a low temperature over a long period of time in order to break down the connective tissues in the meat. The marbled fat melts from the inside as the meat cooks, self-basting while the proteins break down.
So, enough cooking geekery for you, let’s get started.
Succulent Roasted Leg of Lamb
- Roasting pan
- Wire rack
- Ladle
- Leg of Lamb (Of course!)
- Grainy Dijon mustard
- Coarse salt, preferably Kosher
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Rosemary sprigs
- Oven
- Aluminum foil
- Patience
Alright, now we get into how we will pull off this amazing transformation:
- Set up the roasting pan with the rack in the inside.
- Place the lamb leg in the center of the pan.
- Rub grainy mustard over the lamb; ensure the bottom is covered as well.
- Sprinkle coarse salt over the top and rub in chopped rosemary.
- Crack black peppercorns over the top.
- Place into 400°F oven for 10 minutes.
- Lower oven temperature to 285°F.
- Roast lamb until a thermometer reads 135°F.
- Remove lamb from the oven.
- Cover lamb with aluminum foil; rest on counter for 15 minutes to allow the lamb to relax and the juices to re-distribute.
- Slice the lamb once the meat has rested the appropriate time. Ensure you are slicing against the grain.
I hope that you have enjoyed this spectacle, and I really hope you enjoy the lamb!
