Roast Leg of Lamb with Tangerine and Thyme
Okay, here we go. This is the hardest recipe in this chapter, but you can do it.
The first time I made leg of lamb, I learned a great trick from the head butcher at Gelson’s in Century City. He offered to cut out the bone from the center of the leg of lamb, then stick it back in and tie it together with twine. This way, the bone flavors the meat as it cooks, and you can easily remove the bone to slice all the way through the meat when it’s done. I know there’s a low-hanging bone joke here, but this is a dignified cookbook and I won’t resort to that kind of juvenile humor. Plus I don’t like low-hanging bones. Bazinga!
Five things that make this lamb so unbelievably good:
It’s cooked on the bone, which means more flavor and juiciness.
The bone “magically” disappears, making it easy to slice.
Since the bone has been cut out, you can rub the zesty herb mixture inside and out before cooking. At the end, when you’re slicing, each piece will be fully circled by the yummy flavors.
By rubbing the lamb with salt and the rest of the zesty herbs a day before you cook it, the lamb’s sure to be super tender and flavorful. Though cooks debate endlessly whether pre-salting meats adds or detracts from juiciness and flavor, most agree that pre-salting lamb adds extra yumminess.
We get the fat without the fat. Fat helps to insulate meats as they roast, holding in juices and adding to flavor. However, the problem with cooking a leg of lamb with the fat is: First, most people don’t like to be served a fatty piece of meat. Second, the fat is covering surface area that our yummy herb rub can’t reach. So ask your butcher to cut off the fat (or you can easily do this yourself), but don’t throw it out. We’ll cover the lamb with the rub, reaching the area that would have been underneath the fat. Then, we will lay the fat on top, and roast the lamb so the fat can insulate the meat and add its prized flavor. We’ll then discard it before serving.
Serves 10
INGREDIENTS
Special Equipment:
Kitchen twine
Meat thermometer
Roasting pan with a rack
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh sage
Zest of and juice 8 satsuma tangerines or 2 large oranges
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
40 grinds of a pepper mill
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-pound) leg of lamb (See Note)
2 Tablespoons Rosemary-Balsamic Reduction (Page 61) or store-bought balsamic glaze
6 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
DIRECTIONS
The Day Before:
Remove the thyme and rosemary leaves from the sprig. The thinnest twigs are ok to leave in. Remove the sage leaves from the stems. Chop until you have a combined 1⁄2 cup of the three herbs.
Make a rub by combining the chopped herbs, tangerine zest, kosher salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set the tangerines or oranges aside.
Open up the lamb, and remove the bone temporarily. Rub the herb and zest mix all over the lamb, inside and out. Put the bone back in, then close up the lamb. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
Day of, Step 1:
Take the lamb out the fridge about two hours before you intend to cook it, and let it come to room temperature.
Turn on the broiler, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Let the oven get hot for at least 10 minutes.
Open up the lamb, temporarily remove the bone, and rub the balsamic glaze inside and out. It will encourage just a touch of charred bits, which I love.
Put half of the garlic pieces inside the lamb. Replace the bone, and use your kitchen twine to wrap around the lamb. You will need about 6 pieces of twine at 2 to 3-inch intervals so they hold the lamb tightly together. Reserve the removed layer of fat (See Note).
Use a sharp knife to stab small slits in the surface of the lamb, and insert the remaining garlic.
Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 to 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan so it covers the surface.
Broil the lamb for 8 to 9 minutes, until very browned and, perhaps, even a touch charred in places. Carefully flip it over, and broil for another 8 minutes. Take the lamb out of the oven.
Day of, Step 2:
Cover the top of the lamb with the reserved fat.
Turn off the broiler and set the oven temperature to 325°F.
Return the lamb to the oven, and cook for nearly an hour. Calculate cooking time at about 9 to 12 minutes per pound. It is better to err on the side of undercooking. You want to aim for medium-rare, which is perfect for lamb. Because the lamb will have thinner and thicker parts, some of it will be more well done than others. As a result, those people who like more well-cooked pieces will have meat to select from.
Check the thickest parts of the lamb with your meat thermometer. When the temperature is 130°F to 135°F, remove the lamb from the oven.
Tent the lamb with foil, and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
Day of, Step 3:
Turn off your oven and turn on your broiler.
Remove the lamb from the roasting pan, and set it on a platter to capture the juices.
Place the roasting pan on your stove over medium-high heat. (If yours can’t go on the stove, transfer the juices to a saucepan for now.) Add the juice of the tangerines or oranges and 1⁄2 cup of water. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This should take a few minutes.
Open up the lamb, remove the bone, and give it to the dog. You may need to cut a little to expose the full surface of the meat. You will likely see that some parts are totally raw. If so, place the lamb back in the roasting pan, inside part up, and broil it for a minute or so. Don’t over-broil! Remove from the oven, and turn off the broiler.
Slice the lamb, place it on serving platter, and serve with hot juices on top or on the side.
Mazel tov. You just made a leg of lamb!
Note: Ask your butcher for a bone-in leg of lamb that weighs about 6 pounds. Ask for it to be boned (this means having the bone taken out). But ask that the detached bone be put back in the lamb. Then ask for the top layer of fat to be removed and put back on the lamb. (The fat doesn’t have to be all in one piece.) If your butcher looks at you funny, don’t worry. These are awesome tricks. Finally, ask for some extra kitchen twine.
Make-Ahead Prep: You can do the “day of” steps 1 and 2 earlier in the day, about four hours in advance. That said, if you roast the lamb early, it won’t be hot when you serve it. But that’s ok. Just make sure the pan juices are steaming!
Rosemary-Balsamic Reduction
Homemade balsamic reduction adds a sweetness and depth of flavor to a range of dishes, from steak to arancini to cheese.
Makes about 1⁄2 cup
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1⁄4 cup raw honey
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
Combine all of the ingredients in a small pot over medium high heat and stir until it boils.
Lower the heat to medium and let reduce until syrupy, 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm.