How do I cook a lamb roast?

Question

I mean, what temperature and for how long? A recipe would be helpful too...

Answer 1

Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe
The most important thing to remember about cooking a lamb roast is to not over-cook it. Lamb has such wonderful flavor on its own, and is so naturally tender, that it is bound to turn out well, as long as it is still a little pink inside. There is some debate over which method yields the best results - slow cooking at low heat the entire time, or searing first on high heat and then slow cooking. James Beard in his American Cookery prefers the slow-cook-low-heat method (he rubs the roast with salt and pepper and cooks it at 325°F the whole time.) We generally get great results with the searing method, starting at high heat and then dropping the temp which is the method described in the following recipe.

Another point where there are wildly varying opinions is the internal temperature that constitutes "medium rare". I've seen references that range from 120° to 145°F. For this roast, I pulled it out at 130°F. As it rested the internal temperature continued to rise a few points as the meat continued to cook. We like lamb on the rare side of medium rare, and this roast was perfectly done to our taste. Clearly an accurate meat thermometer is essential. Our ancient mercury meat thermometer has proven over and over again to be much more accurate than the instant read thermometers we have.

The marinade we used on this roast comes from my friend Suzanne and it works quite well. A simpler marinade of rosemary, olive oil, garlic, pepper, and lemon juice would do the trick quite nicely too. One can also make tiny slices into the surface of the roast and insert slivers of garlic and herbs. One thing to remember about marinating is to not include salt in the marinade. Salt will dry out the roast. Best to lightly salt the roast, if at all, 15 minutes before you take it out of the oven.

Marinade

1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
2 Tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary or 1 Tbsp of dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Blend ingredients in a blender, just a few pulses until well mixed.


Lamb Roast

1 (6-pound) leg of lamb, bone-in or boneless. If boneless, the leg should be tied up with kitchen string by butcher.
Marinade
Salt



1 Place lamb and marinade into a plastic bag. Squeeze out as much of the air as possible from the bag and seal. Wrap again with another plastic bag to ensure that the marinating lamb doesn't leak. Marinate over night in the refrigerator. Remove the lamb, still in its marinade bag, from the refrigerator 30 minutes before putting in the oven to help bring the lamb closer to room temperature before roasting.


2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange two racks in the oven - a middle rack to hold the lamb, and a lower rack to hold a roasting pan with which to catch the drippings. Place the empty roasting pan in the oven while the oven is pre-heating. Note that this arrangement of racks and pans, with the roast sitting directly on the oven rack, will create a natural convection of heat in the oven, causing the roast to cook more quickly than if cooked the traditional method in a rack in a roasting pan.



3 Remove the lamb from its marinade bag (you may want to temporarily place lamb in another roasting pan, just to make it less messy to work with.) Arrange fattiest side up, so while the lamb is cooking the fat will melt into the meat. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, not touching the bone if your roast is bone-in. Place directly on middle rack of the oven, with a roasting pan on a separate rack a rung lower, to catch the drippings.

4 Roast at 425°F for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 300°F and roast an additional hour (for a 6 pound roast), about 10-11 minutes per pound. Note that the method of cooking directly on the oven rack will mimic a convection oven and the cooking time/oven temp needed will be less than you would need if you cooked the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. If you are cooking the roast in a roasting pan, rack or not, start the roast at 450°F and then reduce the heat to 325°F.

At this point start checking the meat thermometer. Remove from the oven anywhere from 130°F to 135°F for medium rare. Sprinkle with salt about 15 minutes before removing from oven. Lamb should never be cooked until well done or it will be too dry. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Cut away the kitchen string and slice with a sharp carving knife, 1/2 inch thick slices, against the grain of the meat.



5 While the roast is resting, use a metal spatula to scrape up the drippings in the roasting pan. Use the drippings to make a gravy, or use just the drippings themselves to serve with the lamb.

Serves 8 to 10. Serve with some homemade mint jelly for an added treat.

Answer 2

Roast Lamb In Convection Oven

Answer 3

Roast Leg of Lamb With Herbs

INGREDIENTS:

1 leg of lamb, about 5 pounds
1 clove garlic, slivered
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 cup apricot preserves

PREPARATION:
Wipe lamb with a damp cloth. Make several tiny gashes all over the lamb and insert slivers of the garlic. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Place leg, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan. Insert thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, not touching fat or bone.
Roast in a preheated 325° oven for about 25 to 30 minutes per pound, or until meat thermometer registers 150° to 175°, depending on how well you like it done. Combine lemon rind, juice, rosemary, and apricot preserves. Spread over lamb after it has roasted for 2 hours. Return to oven and continue roasting, basting occasionally with the sauce.

Answer 4

Garlic-Roasted Lamb with Oregano Pesto:

1 (2-pound) rolled boneless leg of lamb
1/4 cup Oregano Pesto
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 whole garlic head

Unroll roast, and trim fat. Spread 1 tablespoon Oregano Pesto into the folds of the roast. Reroll roast, and secure at 1-inch intervals with heavy string. Make several 1/2-inch-deep slits in surface of roast; stuff garlic slices into slits. Cut 3 additional 1/2-inch-deep slits in surface of roast; stuff 1 teaspoon pesto into each slit. Spread remaining pesto over surface of roast, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast on a broiler pan, and insert meat thermometer into thickest portion of roast; set aside.

Remove the white, papery skin of whole garlic head, making sure not to separate the cloves. Wrap the garlic head in aluminum foil.

Bake roast and garlic side by side at 325° for 45 minutes. Remove garlic from oven; set aside. Bake roast 40 more minutes or until thermometer registers 150° (medium-rare). Let roast stand 10 minutes before slicing. Separate garlic head into cloves, and serve with roast.

Yield: 6 servings

Answer 5

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Herbs
Serves 8 to 10

One 6- to 8-pound bone-in leg of lamb, rinsed and patted dry
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 3 lemons
4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary needles
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Use a paring knife to make a dozen small slits in the meat. Tuck garlic slivers into slits. Place meat in a baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, stir together oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour marinade over lamb, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate, basting occasionally with the marinade, for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325° with rack positioned to fit the lamb in a roasting pan. Remove lamb from refrigerator, uncover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat a roasting pan with oil.

4. Transfer lamb to a rack fitted in the prepared pan, reserving leftover marinade. Season meat with salt and pepper. Roast lamb, basting every 20 to 30 minutes, first with the reserved marinade, and then with juices that accumulate in the pan. The lamb will need to cook for about 20 minutes per pound (2 hours for a 6-pound leg of lamb, and 2 hours and 40 minutes for an 8-pound leg of lamb). An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat, not touching the bone, should read 145° when the lamb is medium-rare.

5. Remove pan from oven and transfer lamb to a cutting board. Cover to keep warm; let rest for 20 minutes before carving. Pour pan juices into a fat separator or glass measuring cup; spoon off any fat that rises to the surface and discard. Cover juices to keep warm while lamb rests; add any juices that collect as the lamb sits.

6. Carve lamb, and arrange slices on a large warm platter; drizzle with reserved pan juices just before serving.

Answer 6

I think any of the above methods sound great ..... but don't forget to put some quartered potatoes, slices of pumpkin and maybe some small onions in the pan to cook with it. Also try a mint sauce or jelly when you serve it ..... and don't forget to make a gravy with the pan juices. This is New Zealand style roast lamb.

Answer 7

I'm not quite certain if your question is regarding roasting a Rack of Lamb or Lamb Leg. In any case, here's a recipe for Roasted Rack of Lamb I had cooked a few weeks ago and it turned out great. Hope it helps.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (7 bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Move oven rack to the center position.
In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss in 2 tablespoons olive oil to moisten mixture. Set aside.
Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring.
Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in preheated oven for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness you want. With a meat thermometer, take a reading in the center of the meat after 10 to 12 minutes and remove the meat, or let it cook longer, to your taste. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs.


NOTE:- Allow internal temperature to be 5 to 10 degrees less than you like because the meat will continue to cook while it sits. Bloody rare: 115 to 125 degrees F Rare: 125 to 130 degrees F Medium rare: 130 to 140 degrees F Medium: 140 to 150 degrees F