Roast Leg Of Lamb With Mint Pesto

5 from 1 vote

Roast leg of lamb with mint pesto is a tender and flavorful roast leg of lamb drizzled with fresh mint pesto. You will love this special roast.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 5

Total Time 2 15

Servings

Calories 310kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

For Leg of Lamb

4-5 pounds 1/2 bone-in leg of lamb shank portion
extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 stems fresh rosemary minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water

For Mint Pesto:

1 cup packed mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For Leg of Lamb:

Preheat oven to 350℉
Take the leg of lamb out of the packaging and gently pat the meat dry with paper towels. Then rub lamb with oil.
4-5 pounds 1/2 bone-in leg of lamb, extra virgin olive oil
Combine garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl and rub over the entire roast.
3 cloves of garlic, 2 stems fresh rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Transfer to a rack fitted in a shallow roasting pan fat side up. Add water to the pan. Tent with foil. Roast for 1 hour. Remove foil and continue cooking for another hour and 5 minutes (about 25 minutes per pound).
3 cups water
Now turn the broiler on; broil for 5 minutes. Flip over and broil for 5 minutes on the other side to make it a little more crispy and browned on the outside.
Transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil. Let roast rest for 15 minutes.
Snip butcher's twine and slice by making perpendicular slices to the bone.

For Mint Pesto:

Mash the garlic and salt together in a small dish. Place in the bowl of your food processor fitted with the large chopping blade.
Add the mint, lemon zest and pepper. Secure the cover. Process until the mixture has a paste-like consistency, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Cover.
Now with the motor running add the oil in a slow steady stream through the small feed tube, thickening the mixture.
Cover to prevent oxidation until you're ready to serve with the lamb.
1 cup packed mint leaves, 2 garlic cloves, zest of 1 lemon, salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil

Notes

When selecting your leg of lamb, pay attention to the color of the meat—it should be lighter in color, not too dark.
If you're using a frozen leg of lamb, ensure it's completely thawed before roasting. A whole, bone-in leg of lamb may take 2-3 days to thaw completely in the refrigerator. Smaller pieces or portions, like my half leg or a lamb roast, may take 12-24 hours.
I like my lamb medium rare and checked several cooking charts to find out what would be the perfect temperature. They indicated to cook until 130℉-135℉ as measured with a meat thermometer before removing your meat from the heat source.

However, when I followed those instructions, my roast was still uncooked inside. After an hour and 40 minutes, the thermometer read 135℉, but I had to put the roast back in the oven for another 25 minutes for a total of 2 hours and 5 minutes.

I didn't check the final temperature, but I can tell you that this was about 25 minutes per pound.

Since ovens vary, go by temperature, not time. If you prefer your meat a little bit more done, just roast it for 5-10 more minutes.

Store leftover lamb in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for longer storage.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.5g | Protein: 23.9g

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