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A Little Help? Leg of Lamb

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Leann C

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A Little Help? Leg of Lamb

by Leann C » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:26 pm

OK. I spied a nice looking 1/2 leg of lamb in the meat section at ValuMarket today and couldn't resist. Now the question: How do I cook it? It's 3 lb. bone in. Do I need to trim all the fat off to avoid a gamey taste?

I was thinking of making a paste of olive oil, lemon, fresh parsley, salt & pepper and rubbing it down. Then in the oven for a couple of hours. Should I go high heat for a few minutes, then low & slow? Any other ideas?

Any thoughts on sides?
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Deb Hall

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Leg of Lamb Ideas

by Deb Hall » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:55 pm

Leann,

The greek recipe I've used does a paste like what you are describing, but with fresh oregano, olive oil and garlic as the main ingredients. You shouldn't have to trim the fat as long as you got a good leg: you really want to keep the fat to keep it moist.
As for cooking, a 3 lb leg is not very large and personally I like it medium rare. I would roast the lamb in middle of a preheated 450°F. oven for 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350°F., and roast the lamb maybe an hour or until your meat thermometer registers 145 degrees. Then let sit for 10-15 before carving.

I do a kind of "Greek Orzo" when I cook the lamb this way. Saute 1 small diced onion in olive oil until soft, then add a lb of orzo, saute 3-4 minutes and add enough chicken stock to cover by one inch. Cook according to package directions on orzo, adding more chicken stock if needed. When that done, add about 1/3 - 1/2 lb of chopped Greek roasted Tomatoes ( or sun dried tomatoes in oil) and stir. Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley and stir. Add 3/4 cup of good crumbled feta (I like Valbreso French Feta in this) and stir just enough to distribute. Salt & Pepper to taste. You can serve this warm or at room temp.
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by Leann C » Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:13 pm

Deb,

Perfect! Thank you. The orzo sounds heavenly. We've been low carb for awhile, but I may splurge tonight. By the way, are you Greek? My father in law is originally from Cyprus.
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todd richards

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Game Taste

by todd richards » Fri Mar 09, 2007 2:12 pm

The game taste actually comes from a gland inside the leg of lamb. If the market has a butcher section ask them to remove it. At all cost do not remove the fat. It is what protects the meat from drying.
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Deb Hall

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Leg of Lamb Ideas

by Deb Hall » Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:43 pm

Leann,

Glad you liked the idea. Let me know how you like it.

No, I'm not Greek. Just something I made up after travelling over there...

Deb
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Re: Game Taste

by Leann C » Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:01 pm

todd richards wrote:The game taste actually comes from a gland inside the leg of lamb. If the market has a butcher section ask them to remove it. At all cost do not remove the fat. It is what protects the meat from drying.


Argghkk! A gland! I have already brought it home. Can I remove it? Where is it...and what does it look like? Scalpel please!
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it is very easy

by todd richards » Fri Mar 09, 2007 4:28 pm

If the leg is boneless then it has been removed.
Also depending on were the lamb came from it has been removed also.
Finally most domestic lambs don't have it.

In the meat side of the leg near the large portion you will see a layer of silver skin about 2" long and 1" wide. About 1 inch to the left or right of the skin insert a knife about 1in. Insert your finger a feel for a quater size piece of soft tissue. If it is there that simple cut out with a knife. If not than don't worry. Just feel that cavity with your recipe rub which will help flavor the meat anyway.
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by Leann C » Fri Mar 09, 2007 5:52 pm

Excellent! Thanks for the help.
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Gretchen D.

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Re: A Little Help? Leg of Lamb

by Gretchen D. » Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:50 pm

Leann C wrote:OK. I spied a nice looking 1/2 leg of lamb in the meat section at ValuMarket today and couldn't resist. Now the question: How do I cook it? It's 3 lb. bone in. Do I need to trim all the fat off to avoid a gamey taste?

I was thinking of making a paste of olive oil, lemon, fresh parsley, salt & pepper and rubbing it down. Then in the oven for a couple of hours. Should I go high heat for a few minutes, then low & slow? Any other ideas?

Any thoughts on sides?


It's probably too late for tonight, but I use an excellent mustard coating from The Way to Cook by Julia Child and marinate for several hours or more. Then my husband grills it to perfection. The 145 temp posted above is too done for me. If you're interested for next time, I could post the recipe. I get results from Julia Child as good as any fine restaurant and I absolutely love lamb. Also, Costco has a very nice Australian boneless leg of lamb for a VERY good price. They also have rack of lamb in 1 lb packs that I prepare the same way.

Bon Apetit! Gretchen.
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leg o lamb

by James Paul » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:27 am

Leanne, take the bone out(not hard) leave the fat on and try this:




1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup lime juice
2 teaspoons crushed oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 head garlic, minced
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 (5 pound) butterflied leg of lamb

In a non-reactive pan large enough to hold the lamb, stir together all ingredients except lamb. Place lamb in pan and coat well with marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning meat occasionally.
Remove lamb from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before proceeding. Preheat grill and cook lamb for 10 minutes on each side for rare. Remove lamb from grill and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

140 medium rare.

Enjoy! :)
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