Grandfather Maynard's Leg of Lamb

Maynard Pittendreigh

Cooking a leg of lamb is actually really, really simple. 

When you go to the butcher shop, you will need to make a decision about the shank.  The shank is the bone and meat above the knee and below the leg portion. Usually leg of lamb is sold without the shank attached so that you are just buying the upper part of the leg without the lower part. You can order a leg of lamb with the shank left on, however; this is sometimes called an “American leg,” but usually it’s simply referred to as “shank-on leg.”

Some people prefer this, as it looks more traditional and dramatic on a serving platter, but there’s no major advantage to having the shank.

The next decision is boneless or bone-in.  Boneless may be easier to carve, but bone-in adds much more flavor. Bone-in is also easier to cook, because boneless needs to be held together with oven-proof netting. You should be able to have your butcher add this netting. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 to 6 pound) trimmed bone-in leg of lamb
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil.
2. Pat lamb dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, score the top side of the lamb by making shallow cuts all over.
3. In a small bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, salt and pepper.
4. Place lamb, fat side up, on a rack in the prepared roasting pan. Spread garlic mixture evenly over the lamb, rubbing in thoroughly into the scored cuts.
5. Place into oven and roast until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees F for medium, about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until desired doneness. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.