May 12, 2010

Roast Leg of Lamb

"For-a-Crowd" Recipes, Christmas, easter, holiday, lamb, main dish, roast

Presented by

52 ratings

Prep time: 15 minutes
baking time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 to 12
Partner: Crunchy Potato Casserole

The wonderful scent of garlic and rosemary told us when Grandma was roasting a leg of lamb for dinner.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4-pound) leg of lamb, well trimmed, boned, rolled, tied
Mint jelly, optional

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine mustard, garlic, rosemary and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub mustard mixture over lamb.
2

Line a shallow roasting pan with foil. Place lamb on rack in prepared pan. Roast for about 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F. Roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of lamb, not touching bone, registers 145°F, about 20 minutes per pound for medium.
3

Transfer lamb to cutting board; cover with foil. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before
4

carving. Internal temperature will continue to rise 5°F to 10°F during stand time.
5

Cut strings; discard. Carve lamb into thin slices; serve with mint jelly, if desired.

Grandma's Secret Trick

Grandma liked to spike her lamb with extra garlic. She made random inch-long slits in the roast with a sharp knife, then used the tip of the knife to tuck in garlic slivers. Sometimes, after rubbing the mustard mixture over the lamb, she covered and refrigerated the meat for up to 24 hours before roasting.