How to Roast Leg of Lamb

Lamb is roasted off the bone almost as frequently as on the bone. Roasting meat on the bone can improve the flavor of the meat somewhat, but mostly it just adds a lot of flavor to the drippings and ultimately to any gravy that you may want to make. But for the most part lamb is roasted off the bone because its easier. It's easier to cook, season, and slice. I have already written an article about roasting boneless lamb leg, so I decided I should cover all my bases and roast a leg of lamb.

The first time I ever cooked whole leg of lamb, it came with the shank attached. The shank is a very chewy, sinewy piece of meat that is best cooked in liquid to soften up the connective tissues and make it tender. See the article Braised Lamb Shanks. So this time, when I bought a leg of lamb, I was glad to see the shank had been removed. When we say “leg of lamb,” we refer to the rear leg. The front leg is too small for roasting by itself, so butchers cut it with the shoulder.

Leg of Lamb Roasted with Mint, Garlic, and Rosemary

1. Decide what to season your leg of lamb with. There are many traditional herbs and spices that go very well with lamb. To the right, I have listed several of them. I personally prefer rosemary, garlic, mint, and lemon. Those flavors, when combined with salt and pepper, are simple enough to refrain from masking the inherent flavors of lamb, flavors I like, while being strong enough to accompany the intense flavors lamb has to offer.
2. Season the leg of lamb with herbs and spices. Mince the herbs and garlic finely. A food processor will work well to combine all the flavoring into a paste that can easily be spread over the meat. Or, if you would like, you can chop them as I have done here. I think the food processor method would work the best. Rub the flavors into the outside of the meat and in between some of the muscles like in the picture. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Begin roasting the lamb. Once the oven is up to heat, put the lamb onto a wire rack in a roasting pan. If you would like to roast some veggies and root vegetables, make sure to use enough of them to cover the bottom of the pan. Otherwise they will burn. Set the timer for 30 minutes and put the pan on the second from the bottom rack. The first stage of roasting will help to caramelize the outside of the lamb and convert some of the fat into crispy goodness.
4. Roast the lamb to your desired doneness. After the first 30-minute stage of roasting is done, turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. The length of cooking will depend on how you like your lamb cooked. Lamb is recommended to be cooked rare or medium rare. Any cooking past that and you may as well make pot roast. Use a digital thermometer that can stay in the roast while it roasts to make sure that you cook it to the right temperature. Use the temperatures listed below as a guide. Oh, by the way, let the lamb rest for about 30 minutes before carving it.

Tips for Roasting Lamb

• Don't open the oven unless you have to. If one of your guests tries to take a peek, take away their plate and say “no lamb for you.”
• While the meat rests, elevate it a little so it doesn't sit in its own juices. Juices will affect the exterior texture of the meat.
• It is best to refrain from lamb impersonations until after dinner.
• Trim some of the excess fat and any connective tissue on the surface. Some of the silverskin will be impossible to remove, so just forget about it.

Temperatures for Roasting Lamb

When roasting lamb, the temperature chart is a little different than it is for beef. Lamb dries out at a lower temperature, so the chart shifts down about 10 degrees. And there aren't even temps for well done. I just won't do it. For rare lamb, cook to 110‒120 degrees, medium-rare to 120‒130 degrees, and medium is around 130‒140 degrees. Of course, the FDA wants you to cook it to 145 or something, but they don't care about quality. Their number one concern is safety.