Hi I bought a lamb joint and the butcher told me to cook it at 200 c (electric cooker) but that sounds too hot

Question

especially as I have a fan oven - is he right? I thought it should be about 180? What dya think?

Sorry for asking stupid q's but ive lost all my confidence with cooking and so usually get ready to cook joints. This is 1st time ive bought from a butcher for ages!

Answer 1

i think you reduce the heat for a fan oven. He should have asked you if you had a fan oven. I'd say between 160/180

Answer 2

You can cook it for 150c upwards. The lower the temp the longer the time rewuired. If cooking like this, cover with herbs and spices. put in a roasting tin with a little water at the bottom and cover with foil. That way the meat becomes lovely and tender and the greasey fat will drain and the water help stops the lamb becoming dry. You can always brown the meat more for the last 20 minutes by removing the foil and turning up the heat of the oven.

Try adding your veggies in there (on a rack) an hour or so before the end of the cooking they'll steam and roast.
You can also use the water to make the gravy.


The longer the better for me.

Answer 3

Start at 200 for 20 minutes then turn down to 180 - cook for 20 mins to pound plus 20 mins if joint is on the bone. Most important of all - let joint rest for 20 minutes under foil in a warm place after cooking before carving. Just had a whole leg of lamb (approx weight 8 pounds) cooked this way by my nephew - beautiful, succulent and pink inside but properly cooked. He covered it in lemon and lime zest with chopped rosemary and olive oil - you could really taste the citrus without it being overpowering. Did one mself a few weeks ago with the standard rosemary and garlic inserts - also fantastic and I have a fan oven too. You need the heat at the start to brown the meat otherwise it just bakes and ends up cooked but grey.

What shot your confidence? Just keep cooking and you'll get it back. Trust yourself and your own taste!

Answer 4

It depends on how you like it, how long you leave it in for, whether you're roasting it, or you plan to put it in a casserole, and how much it weighs (ie. how big the lamb joint is).

From what your butcher says, it sounds like he's given you instructions for rare/pink roasted lamb, which is how it's supposed to be when it's roasted or if its lamb chops/steaks. However, you do run the risk of it getting tough if you accidentally leave it in there too long.

If you're making a casserole, I recommend you cook it at 150 C for 2.5 hours. Make sure you pre-heat the oven.

For a 2kg lamb leg, if you're roasting it and you want it tender and succulent and pink on the inside, but nicely crispy on the outside (just perfect), I recommend you heat some fat or oil in a metal roasting tin. Then pre heat the oven to 220 C. Place the lamb in the tin, rolling once quickly so the surface gets coated with the fat/oil, then cook it in the oven at 220 C for 30min. Then turn the heat down to 170 C and leave it in the oven for another 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 min.

Then take it out of the oven AND out of the roasting tin (so it doesn't keep cooking) and leave to stand on a chopping board for 15min (covered in foil to stop it getting cold). This standing time is important to let the meat relax and suck back in some of its juices.

Answer 5

It does depend on your oven. I tend to cook joints at 170 c. in my fan oven. Hmmm - I think i will have lamb tonight.

I was reading an article the other day and it suggested that the perfect beef joint should be cooked for 24 hours at a ludicrously low temperature (something like 50 c). I wouldn't suggest anything like that for Lamb though.

180 should be fine.

Answer 6

a lamb joint should be cooked at 180 time it 20 minutes per lb in weight then add another 20 mins on top and your joint will be cooked perfectly. cook on a rack to help drain most of the fat as lamb is really fatty.
beef 20 min per lb and 20 over
pork 25 min per lb and 25 over these guidlines should help .

if using a fan assisted oven lower the temp to 160/170 don't alter the times . :)

Answer 7

The Lamb should be cooked at 180 c. As for the butcher, try 220c. He just wants you to shrivel your joint and buy a bigger one next time.

Answer 8

For a fan oven between 160-180 use the higher number for the last half hour also if you like garlic, use a sharp knife and pierce the leg in a few places and push a peeled garlic clove into it, its very tasty, good luck

Answer 9

Yes - 180 should be fine. The fan will reduce cooking time.

You can't really go too wrong with lamb - just make sure it's very slightly pink inside when you serve it. Too white will make it dry.

Answer 10

souds good to me turn down to 180 afetr 20 mins then rest when =cooking finished for a further 20 mins cook some garlic bulbs along with it for last hour the whole bulb with skin on