Citrus & Herb Leg of Lamb
A few ingredients to pack a punch and wow your family!
This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prep the day before you need to roast it and a few hours of cook time. Simply get it prepped the day before you need it and then pop in the oven when ready!
Considering we raise primarily focus on raising sheep, you can imagine we eat quite a bit of lamb around here. I know it’s not quite as easy to find at the grocery store as beef, pork, or chicken, but if you look hard enough, I can assure you that your grocer probably has some fresh cuts behind the counter.
In my opinion, it’s a delicious and rich tasting red meat. I can’t speak to what other breed of lamb tastes like but I hear it can be gamey. Our particular breed doesn’t have that type of taste at all (it was one of the big reasons we wanted to raise this breed) but with this recipe it won’t matter! The citrus and herbs work together beautifully but lets the taste of the meat still come through. This has become my go-to and is the only way I’ll prepare this cut (I’ve tried other recipes but this is the jam!)
Every cut we’ve had from any of the lambs we’ve raised has been tender, buttery, and an absolute treat for any guests coming for a visit. The following recipe is my go-to for leg of lamb and I serve it on special occasions as a second meat. It’s a guaranteed show stopper and while it sounds extra fancy, I can promise it’s an absolute breeze to prepare and cook.
Ingredients
1 Leg of Lamb (size will vary but we tend to have 5-7 pound legs so that’s what cook time will reflect
1 Large Orange (Fully zested and its juice - you may need two depending on leg size)
1 small lemon (same as the orange)
Olive Oil
4-5 Garlic Cloves
Fresh herbs of choice (I used rosemary, thyme, and oregano)
Coarse Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Directions
Prep the meat the day before cooking! It lets everything marinate before you cook.
Place your citrus zest and juice in a food processor with roughly chopped garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and enough oil to help make a semi-loose paste as you process everything together
A note on the salt, pepper, and herbs - you may have noticed that on some recipes my measurements are questionable. This is because it’s all to taste and preference. Now, that being said, I tend to use quite a bit of salt. It’s a bit cut of meat and I want FLAVOR. I tend to use about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of salt and 1/4 to 1/3 tablespoon pepper and lots of fresh herbs! Totally up to you.
Taste your paste and if it’s too salty for you, add a bit more olive oil and citrus juice if you’ve got it.
From here, simply slather that paste ALL over the lamb (front and back). Place your cut citrus into the pan, cover tightly with foil or lid depending on your pan and place in fridge overnight. (THIS roasting pan would be perfect for this dish.)
When ready to cook, simply let your meat sit out for about an hour or until it’s room temp (you don’t want to place super cold meat directly into a hot oven - it prevents juices from flowing properly and you could end up with a dry entree.)
Bake at 325 degrees for 3.5 to 4.5 hours depending on leg size. Check at the 3 hour mark. If the meat looks cooked but you still have resistance when putting a fork into a thick section of the leg, it’s not ready. You want to pop it back in and continue to slow roast it so that it’s pull apart, fork tender.
Minimal internal temp of the lamb should be at least 145 degrees. Click HERE for a reliable meat thermometer!
Once done, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. It’ll be tender, juicy, and packed with flavor!
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