Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [285]
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Note: This crust mixture makes an actual crust on the meat; pat it into place and work gently with the rack to keep the crust in place while it cooks.
Bone-in Roasted Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Allspice
Leg of lamb has a stronger taste than the rack or chops—more musky, somehow more elemental, less sweet, and beefier. Makes 8 to 10 servings
10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise
1½ tablespoons ground allspice
One 6-to 7-pound bone-in leg of lamb
1 tablespoon salt, preferably coarse-grained or kosher salt
½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, sliced into ¼-inch rings
3 tablespoons olive oil
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix the garlic and
½ tablespoon allspice in a small bowl until the halved cloves are well coated.
Slip the tip of a paring knife into the meat at random but equidistant spacings, creating twenty small slits, some only ½ inch deep and some up to 2 inches deep.
Push the coated garlic cloves into the slits, using the smaller cloves for shallower slits. Rub the remaining 1 tablespoon ground allspice all over the outside of the leg of lamb, then gently massage in the salt and pepper.
Toss the onion rings and the olive oil in a large, heavy, deep roasting pan or broiler pan. Set the prepared leg of lamb on top.
Roast until browned, until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted diagonally into the thickest part of the meat without the probe touching bone registers
125°F (our definition of rare), about 1½ hours
135°F (our definition of—and preference for—medium-rare), about 1 hour and 45 minutes
145°F (the USDA recommendation for medium-rare), about 2 hours
or 160°F (the USDA recommendation for medium), about 2 hours and 10 minutes
In all cases, check the roast after 1 hour to see where things stand.
Use silicone oven mitts or large spatulas to transfer the leg of lamb to a cutting board so you can avoid pricking the meat and losing juice. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Set the roasting pan or broiler pan over medium-high heat and scrape up any browned bits with the onions in the pan, using the accumulated juices. If the pan is exceptionally dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons water. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
To carve the leg of lamb, set it bone side down on the carving board. Cut thin slices by starting at the top and slicing off a piece at a diagonal down toward the exposed bone (never cut parallel to the bone). When you’ve cut off several slices, turn the leg over and slice off more pieces, always cutting horizontally from the thickest part down to the exposed bone.
Variations: Substitute minced fresh rosemary or oregano for the allspice.
Substitute 8 medium shallots, sliced into thick rings, for the onions.
Deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons white wine.
Braised Boneless Leg of Lamb with Almonds, Apricots, and Dates
In this dish, the leg is braised in an aromatic tomato broth, which is then ladled over the slices. Have your butcher butterfly the leg open for you. Makes 8 servings
One 3½-to 4-pound boneless butterflied leg of lamb, all surface fat trimmed
6 ounces dried apricots
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Butcher’s twine
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
4 pitted dates, finely chopped
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 cups beef broth
Two 4-inch cinnamon sticks
Lay the leg of lamb rough side up on your work surface so that it’s an oblong with the ends pointing away from you left and right. Lay the dried apricots over the meat, starting at the left side and working three quarters of the way across the meat. Sprinkle the almonds, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper over the apricots.
Starting at one long side