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Christ is risen!
Glorify him!
Easter is almost here, and we should all be thinking about our meal plan for this glorious day. I'm Christian orthodox and my Easter doesn't come until April 16 this year, but I would love to share my way of making the most mouthwatering lamb that all of you can enjoy now!
But for most of you this coming week may not be as big as other holidays, but still, we all are typically gathering at the family table to celebrate the birth of Christ.
The festive meal always includes, in my house, some type of beautifully prepared meat. This Easter it's all about herb infused leg of lamb.
This no-fail, I promise you, roasted leg of lamb recipe, with a special touch of seasoning, will give you the BEST lamb roast you have ever had. Just simply follow my simple tips for how to cook lamb leg, see the video, and I'm guaranteeing your friends and family will prize you for this lamb. So tender and packed with loads of flavor, just melting in your mouth.
ABOUT LAMB
Still being rather new to this country, I am always like a monkey observing what other people eat. Lamb, I think is a most under-appreciated meat. Why? I think, and it's only my opinion, that lamb hasn't received much advertising on TV. Many generations of Americans grew up ordering it only in restaurants and never prepared it at home, with my mother-in-law being a perfect example. She loves lamb but has never taken the time to learn how to prepare and serve it. This is possibly due to being fearful of messing up expensive meat.
INTRESTING FACT
Regular lamb (not grass-fed) has the same number of calories as grass-fed beef but actually has more omega 3 fatty acids. People also get worried about lamb’s fat content, but lamb actually can have less marbling of fat within the meat compared to beef. Most of the lamb's meat fat is located on the outside and can easily be trimmed, which is exactly what I did in the video.
Lamb fat, generally speaking, has a strong flavor, not for everybody, plus a low smoke point of cooking vs pork fat. That's why some recipes can create great amount of smokiness in your house.
I love lamb and my family always looks forward to having lamb for dinner. The lamb is a nutrient dense food that helps maintain a healthy body because it is rich in iron, omega 3 and vitamin B12.
The National Institute of Health’s Dietary Office estimates that somewhere between 1.5 percent to 15 percent of people in the U.S. are deficient in vitamin B12.
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO THIS RECIPE?
It's the flavor that comes from the infused meat from the inside out, plus the bone provides an impact of big flavor too. The paste we are applying to the meat is a key to this recipe.
HOW TO MAKE THE PASTE?
Herbs - I used a combo of parsley, cilantro and rosemary. Mint I would if I had it on hand.
Parmesan - this cheese is excellent for a little boost of umami flavor. Use freshly grated and good quality!
Dijon mustard - it's a secret ingredient that helps any sauce, salad vinaigrette or in our case paste creamier and tastier.
Garlic - yes, garlic has a big flavor, and I believe almost every piece of meat deserves a nice dose of garlic. You can call me a garlic lover.
Lemon - another classic ingredient that many cuisines in the world pair with lamb. It helps with gumminess. It is refreshing and lifts up all the flavors.
Olive oil - blends everything all together.
NOTE ABOUT PASTE
Most likely you will end up with extra paste, depending on the size of your meat of course. If you do, please consider using it as a serving sauce. Works well with this dish in using it like you would for a famous chimichurri sauce with Argentine BBQ.
All you need to do is add a little more olive oil, lemon juice (freshly squeezed), and capers. Blend one more time and you have the most aromatic, green sauce that is fantastic pretty much on anything.
Similar recipe
Let's make it...
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1-hour 30minutes
Total: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Serves: 8 people
Author: Inna of innichkachef.com
Ingredients
5-6 lbs. leg of lamb (increase or decrease time of cooking if your lamb is a different size)
1 lemon cut in half.
4 Tablespoons of shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
1-2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
1 cup of herbs chopped (cilantro, rosemary, parsley, mint would be nice, but I didn't have in the video)
3 large cloves of garlic
2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
NOTE ON SEASONING THE MEAT: Be generous on salt for every pound of meat you need a half teaspoon of salt. You should not worry about over-salting the meat, because it takes quite a bit to over-salt, and it is way easier to make a beautiful piece of meat flavorless and not appetizing. I used 3 teaspoons of salt for 5 lbs. of meat.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Wash and paper dry your meat. Trim almost all fat and leave just some to keep the leg of lamb moist.
With a sharp knife, make the pockets in the meat. The more the better! See video for this step. Set aside.
Meanwhile make the paste. To a blender cup add garlic, herbs, mustard, Parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend all together or until it all looks like a beautiful green paste.
Stuff the green paste in each hole (pocket) of the meat. Take lemon halves and rub around all the meat. Season all the meat with salt and pepper.
Place meat on a baking sheet with a rack to elevate the meat from the baking sheet. Put in a preheated oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and cook to your personal preference. I like my lamb medium rare, so my meat temperature range is from 127-130F.
Let the meat rest for at least 40 minutes. I promise it's worth it.
Carve your meat and enjoy! You should serve with anything that I suggested in the notes above. Also check out the notes above as to what you can do with any of the extra paste. This mouthwatering dinner will turn anyone into a lamb lover.
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