Roast Lamb

9:00 pm on 23 May 2005

Ingredients

  • leg of lamb

Method

Before roasting lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and to reach room temperature. Use a roasting rack to ensure even browning and heat circulation.

The amount of fat on the leg and the fattiness of the leg itself will determine the cooking time and temperature. For a lean leg, use a hot 230° C oven for the first 15 minutes and then reduce to175° C to continue roasting. Using this method, the meat will take about 25 minutes per 450g to reach medium rare.

Fattier pieces of meat, are better when roasted continuously at a lower temperature, 160°C for longer, allowing the fat to slowly melt and baste the roast. Meat cooked with this method will take about 30 minutes per 450g to reach medium rare.

The most accurate way to determine doneness is with a meat thermometer: 42°C is rare, 58°C is medium-rare, and 68°C is medium-well. Always rest the roast after cooking for 15 minutes before slicing so as to retain the moistness.

Recommended Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon
Goldwater Boatshed Bay
Brookfield Ohiti Estate
Fenton the Red
Trinity Hill
Mills Reef
Te Mata Coleraine
Yering Station
Patricia