Suffolk Lambs
By Cat, Nov 2010 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
See also: 1. Lamb, Pork, Small Game Menu; 2. Middle-Eastern Menu; 3. Mediterranean Menu; 4. Lamb (About); 5. Lamb Roast (About);
I was a bit skeptical about the mustard and rosemary combination, until I tried it. Delicious! This is a very easy recipe.
Leg of Lamb Roast with Mustard & Rosemary Rub
This recipe is adapted from TLC Cooking (1), and is similar to the Basic Roast Leg of Lamb with Herbs recipe, with the addition of mustard. The original recipe is for a rolled & tied boneless leg; a 3 – 4 pound rolled and tied boneless leg of lamb will reach medium-rare in less than an hour at 325°F. If you use a bone-in leg, it will need a longer cooking time (and more difficulty in carving).
Use an instant read thermometer to determine when it is done to your taste (I like my rare (125°-130°F) or medium-rare (135°-140°F). See Lamb Roast (About) for more on temperature and cooking time; I don’t recommend cooking it well done unless cooked with moisture (as for a pot roast or slow-roast).
Ingredients & Equipment:
- 3 – 4 lb boneless (rolled & tied), or 5 – 6 lb bone-in leg of lamb
- 3 Tbsp coarse-grained prepared mustard (I use Dijon)
- 1 ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Roasting pan
Method:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (for searing).
- Combine mustard, rosemary and pepper in small bowl. You can either peel and mince the garlic and add it to the mustard mix, or cut garlic into slivers and insert each into cuts made into the lamb, or both.
- Sear: Place roast on meat rack in shallow roasting pan (or on top of a bed of raw or sauteed veggies such as onion, carrots and celery). Roast in hot oven 15 minutes.
- Roast: Reduce oven to 325°F and roast to desired internal temperature (see above).
- Transfer roast to cutting board to rest, covered with foil, for 10 – 15 minutes before carving.
- Serve with mint sauce, if desired (seeLamb Roast with Garlic & Rosemary, and Optional Mint Sauce for recipe).
Serving ideas
- Serve with steamed rice, couscous, or red potatoes; or Greek Style Roasted Potatoes, with Garlic, Lemon & Oregano
- Serve with lima or fava beans sautéed in butter and olive oil (see Fava Beans (About) for more about this delicious bean).
- In the spring, serve with braised asparagus, or braised green beans in summertime.
- Braised Broccoli & Rapini with Cream is another great option.
- Accompany with a yogurt sauce such as Spicy Yogurt-Mint Sauce, Greek Yogurt Sauce or Lebneh (Yogurt sauce)
References:
- TLC Cooking recipe (recipes.howstuffworks.com/roast-leg-of-lamb-a-recipe.htm
