We've all had lamb chops and some of us have even had a crown roast of lamb ribs, but most of the time we walk right past the leg of lamb in the butcher's case. Here's a real simple recipe I've used for many years for a great leg of lamb. I've listed two different methods of cooking - oven roasting and rotisserie. In all honesty, you can't match the flavor you get from the rotisserie, but not everyone is so well equipped!
Step 1 - have the butcher butterfly the leg of lamb. This will remove the bone and give you a large irregularly shaped piece of meat. Trim none of the fat! You'll burn it off on the rotisserie and lamb is a very lean meat to begin with. Don't have him tie it, just wrap it up and take it home (after you pay for it.)
Step 2 - marinate the meat with a Jamaican Jerk Rub (see below) Make sure you cover both sides of the meat. Cut l stick of butter or margarine lengthwise and place it on the inside surface of the lamb. Add to that 2 or 3 coarsely chopped onions and 3 or 4 chopped garlic cloves. Tie the lamb into a cylinder shape with cotton butcher's twine. Put the lamb in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 3 - take the lamb out of the refrigerator about an hour before you're ready to start cooking to let it come to room temperature.
Step 4 - If you have a rotisserie - let the lamb spin for 1-1/2 to 2 hours over low to medium flame. If it's going in the oven - 2 to 2-1/2 hours at 325 degrees. While it's cooking (either method) make sure you baste every 10
minutes. I usually baste with a mixture of 1/2 clear apple juice and 1/2 water. Add some garlic powder and cayenne pepper to the baste for additional flavor. You'll know that the lamb is done when the juices flowing from it are clear. Rare is 145 degrees, Medium is 160 degrees, Well is 170 degrees.
Step 5 - carve it while it's still tied up. Don't eat the twine! Enjoy...
Jamaican Jerk Rub
- 4 tablespoons Ground allspice
- 4 tablespoons Dried thyme
- 4 tablespoons Ground Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Ground sage
- 1 tablespoon Ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 cup dried Chives
Pulverize all ingredients in a food processor. Makes about 1 cup.
