Recipe: Roasted Leg of Lamb

Not too long ago, I purchased a 4lb leg of lamb roast from Costco out of impulse. Maybe it was the delicious lamb soup my dad made over break, maybe it was the exotic nature of lamb (I've never dealt with lamb, ever), regardless of which, I decided to try my hand at this seemingly different protein.

So I got home and cut it up into three different segments: one small (~0.75lbs) chunk, one medium (1.25lbs), and one larger hunk for roasting (2.25lbs). I figured I'd get sick of the same flavor of lamb if I roasted the whole thing, so I saved the other half for future cravings.

First I made the marinade and placed the lamb fat side up on a baking dish. I then proceeded to pour the marinade over the meat, covering any missed spots. Storing the whole thing in the fridge for about 10 hours, I then took it out and let it sit for 1 hour at room temp before doing anything. This allows a more even cooking of the inside of the roast. During that hour, I chopped up a bunch of carrots on the bias (about 1/2-inch apart) and set them aside. When the meat returned close to room-temp, I preset the oven to 400 deg. Returning to the roast, I then lifted it and arranged brussel sprouts and the carrots in the middle of the baking pan and then placed it over the vegetables. Elevating the roast like this prevents any chances of the bottom of the roast burning. Why do we do this? Well, first of all, roasted veggies are friggin' awesomelicious... and I guess you wouldn't want to burn your roast, now would you? Set timer to 25min and chuck the whole thing in the oven, lower-middle rack. Once the half hour is up, lower the oven temperature to 350deg. Mind you, my roast is only about 2 lbs, so adjust accordingly (+15min/lb). My roast finished about 15 minutes after the 30minutes was up. Take out of oven, loosely tent foil over the roast, and let sit for about 15 minutes before cutting. Slice against the grain, and serve. It came out half medium, half med rare. A bit uneven due to the shape of the roast, but overall good! I made a bit of pan sauce with some marinade I reserved earlier, but didn't really find that necessary.

Marinade:

1/2 Cup Red Wine
1/2 Cup EVOO
2 Tbspn Dijon Mustard
1 Tbspn Minced Garlic
2 Tspn Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Tspn Garlic Salt
2 Tspn Italian Seasoning (Thyme, Oregano, Basil)

Veggies:

4 carrots, sliced 1/2-inch
1 cup Brussel Sprouts

Comments: After tasting the first bite, the first thought that came to mind was the overtly strong wine taste. I should've used white wine... Veggies weren't as well done as I would've liked them to be. Might have to cook them a bit in advance next time for a roast this size. The meat itself was a bit tough. Either it was the cooking temperature or the meat itself. I'll try lowering the temperature next time and slowing the cooking process to ensure tender meat. I really, really, really enjoyed the brussel sprouts, they were nice, tender, but retained a crispiness that I love. Noms.