Lemon-Herb Roast Leg of Lamb

Steps

1. Mix all the herb rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and rub the herb paste all over it, working it into any folds. Wash your hands.
3. Let the lamb sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Don't leave it out longer than this.
   ⏱ Rest at room temp: 30 min
4. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the middle. Set the lamb on the rack in a roasting pan, fat side up.
   450°F
5. Roast (how to roast)

   Roast Cook food uncovered in a hot oven so the outside browns while the inside cooks through. 1. Heat the oven fully before the food goes in, usually 400 to 450°F for vegetables.2. Toss vegetables with oil and salt; dry and season meat.3. Spread everything out on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan with room around each piece.4. Roast, turning vegetables once halfway, until browned at the edges.5. For meat, check the center with a thermometer. Done when: Vegetables are browned at the edges and tender in the middle; meat reaches its safe temperature. Safety: Use dry oven mitts (wet ones pass heat straight through) and tilt hot pans away from you to avoid the fat and steam.How to roast meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   at high heat to

   brown (how to brown)

   Brown Cook food in a hot pan until its surface turns brown, which adds rich, roasted flavor. 1. Pat the food dry; for ground meat, let the pan get hot first.2. Add a little oil and spread the food in one layer.3. Leave it alone for a few minutes so the bottom browns, then turn or break it up.4. Work in batches if it won't fit in one layer.5. Pour off extra fat if the recipe says to. Done when: Most surfaces are brown, not gray, and the bottom of the pan has browned bits (they are flavor, not burn). Safety: Hot oil spatters: dry the food first, lay it in the pan moving away from you, and keep a lid nearby. Never put water on an oil fire; slide the lid over it and turn off the heat. Browned outside doesn't mean cooked inside: ground beef needs 160°F, poultry 165°F.How to brown meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   the outside.
   450°F⏱ Sear at 450°F: 15 min
6. Lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) without opening the door and keep roasting. Start checking the temperature in the thickest part after 60 minutes.
   350°F⏱ Roast at 350°F: 1 hr
7. Keep roasting, checking every 10 minutes, until the center reads 145°F (63°C), which is medium and the safe temperature for lamb.
   350°F⏱ Check again: 20 min
8. Move the lamb to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and

   rest (how to rest)

   Rest Leave cooked meat, baked goods or dough alone for a while before you cut, slice or shape it. 1. Move meat to a board or plate as soon as it is done (a few degrees shy of target for big roasts; it keeps rising).2. Tent it loosely with foil if the kitchen is cool.3. Rest steaks and chops 5 minutes, roasts 15 to 20, a turkey 30.4. For dough, cover it so it doesn't dry out while it relaxes. Done when: Meat juices stay in when you slice; dough rolls out without springing back. Safety: Rest at room temperature for under an hour, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.How to rest meat and dough: mistakes to avoid

   so the juices settle.
   ⏱ Rest: 15 min
9. Snip off the twine and

   slice (how to slice)

   Slice Cut food into flat pieces of the same thickness. 1. Give round food a flat side to sit on.2. Hold it with your fingertips curled under.3. Cut with long strokes, pushing the knife forward and down rather than straight down.4. Move your guiding hand back the same distance each time so every slice matches. Done when: The slices are even. For meat, slicing across the grain (across the lines of muscle) gives the tenderest bite. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide. Slice hot roasts on a board with a groove for the juices.How to slice evenly: mistakes to avoid

   the lamb across the grain about 1/4 inch thick. Spoon the pan juices over the slices.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

• A bone-in leg takes longer: plan on about 20 to 25 minutes per pound at 350°F and always go by the thermometer.
• Serve with roasted potatoes tossed in the pan drippings for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Storage

Refrigerate within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Leftovers are great in pitas with tzatziki.

Make ahead

Rub the lamb with the herb paste up to 24 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: lemons (December to April).