Roasted Leg Of Lamb
Prepare to indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this Roasted Leg Of Lamb. Tender, juicy, and infused with aromatic herbs, this easy weeknight dinner is perfect for family gatherings or special occasions. Treat yourself to a delightful experience that will leave you craving more!
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Whisk
- Frying Pan
- Oven
- Peeler
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 5 to 7 lb. Leg of lamb center cut roast, bone-in
- 1 whole Head of garlic unpeeled, cut in half horizontally
- 2 whole Yellow onions unpeeled, cut in half horizontally
- 4 cups Reduced sodium beef broth
- 2 cups Water
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Pure maple syrup may sub brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon Minced fresh rosemary
- 1.5 teaspoons Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon Onion powder
- 5 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup Flour
- as needed Reduced sodium beef broth will use mostly pan juices
Instructions
- Dry lamb: Remove lamb from the packaging and place it on a cutting board. Pat completely dry with paper towels.
- Bring to room temperature: Let lamb sit at room temperature for 60 minutes. Meanwhile, trim and score the lamb, prep the pan and make the wet rub and spread it over the lamb anytime in the 60-minute window (directions below).
- Trim and score: Trim excess fat (trim fat cap to about 1/8-inch). Score the lamb on both sides in a crosshatch/checkerboard pattern by running a sharp knife along the lamb in one direction, cuts about 1-inch apart, 1/4-1/2-inch deep, then the other direction.
- Prepare pan and oven: Add the onions and garlic to the center of a large roasting pan, cut side up. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season lamb: While the lamb is still on the cutting board, rub half of the wet rub all over the side of the lamb with the fat cap, making sure to massage into all the nooks and crannies from scoring. Don’t add the wet rub to the other side yet.
- Add lamb to baking dish: Place the lamb, seasoned side down, in the pan so it’s propped up on the garlic and onions. Using your hands, rub the remaining wet rub all over the lamb.
- Add broth and cover: Pour broth and water around the lamb. Cover with foil.
- Slow roast: Bake at 325 degrees F for 3 hours. Check to see if the meat easily pulls from the bone with tongs after 3 hours. If not, continue to bake until tender.
- Rest: Remove lamb and generously spoon the pan juices over top. Transfer to serving platter and cover loosely with foil while you make the gravy.
- Separate fat: Add the pan juices (remove onions, and garlic) to a gravy fat separator cup to skim off the fat when poured. OR if you don’t have one, add the pan juices to a large freezer bag and allow the fat to separate to the top. Seal the bag and hold over a 3+ liquid measuring cup so that one bottom corner tip is facing down into the measuring cup like a spout. Make a small cut in this corner with scissors. The bottom liquid will flow through the cut, stop when you reach the fat.
- Add broth to pan juices: Add pan juices to a 3+ cup liquid measuring cup. Add additional broth, only if needed, to equal 2 ½ cups; set aside.
- Make roux: Melt butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
- Add broth: Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the 2 ½ cups pan juices/broth. Bring to a simmer until thickened to desired consistency, whisking constantly. If it becomes too thick at any point, whisk in additional broth.
- Season: Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Instead of salt, I suggest starting with beef bouillon, ¼ teaspoon at a time, before salting to taste.
- Remove the meat from the bone with tongs and serve with gravy!
Notes
- Prep Ahead: This leg of lamb roast is ideal to prep ahead of time. Prepare the recipe through rubbing the wet rub all over the lamb. Loosely tent with foil for up to 24 hours. Remove the leg of lamb from the fridge 60 minutes before cooking and then proceed with the recipe.
- Storage: Leftover leg of lamb roast can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: To microwave, reheat portions for 60 seconds, followed by 10-second intervals as needed. To reheat in the oven, transfer pulled lamb to foil and enclose with a splash of broth or water. Bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through. To reheat in a skillet, add pulled lamb to a skillet with a splash of water or broth. Cover and cook on low until warmed through, stirring occasionally.