Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with a Bordeaux Wine Sauce
Slap on a whole bone-in leg of lamb, slathered with garlic and anointed with goose fat. It's a fucking easy and mouthwatering duck to prepare, loaded with flavors that'll rock your world. Toss in some shallots and vinegar and you've got yourself a tangy, saucy sidekick perfect for munching with artichokes and a potato gratin. Carving this bad boy is as simple as pie, thanks to this no-frills technique.
We featured this delectable feast in our Easter Dinner Dishes slideshow. Fancy learning how to grill some lamb loin chops? Check out our guide!
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty: A breeze
- Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins, plus marinating time
Ingredients (10)
- 1 hunk of bone-in leg of lamb (approximately 5 1/2 pounds)
- 2 chunky garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons of goose or duck fat rendered
- 2 tablespoons of grapeseed or peanut oil
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Slash off excess fat and rough skin from the lamb, leaving a thin layer of fat. Make around 10 stab wounds near the leg bone and stick in the garlic slivers. Salt and pepper the meat, then smear it with fat and oil. Pop it in the refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove from the chill box 2 to 3 hours before cooking up.
- Warm the oven to 500°F and jab a rack on the middle.
- Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and shallots in a petite, non-reactive saucepan and light it up on medium heat. Boil that bitch until revised to 1/3 cup, roughly around 20 minutes. Let it cool, then separate the shallots and vinegar.
- Put the lamb on a rack in a substantial roasting pan and cook it until it turns a tasty shade of brown all over, about 25 minutes. Kick it out of the oven when it’s done and drop the temperature to 350°F.
- Dump the reserved vinegar and water into the roasting pan. Shove the lamb back in the oven and cook, basting with the pan juices every 15 minutes, until an internal temp of 135°F to 140°F for medium rare happens, about 1 hour. Yank the lamb and let it chill for 10 minutes.
- While the lamb is resting, concoct the shallot sauce: Add the chicken stock and reserved shallots to the drippings in the roasting pan. Heat that up on two burners over high heat, scraping off any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Slice the lamb and serve with the shallot sauce.
- Serve the lamb with artichokes and a potato gratin, using the shallot sauce from the cooked vinegar and shallots as a tangy, saucy sidekick.
- For the lamb recipe, you'll need 2 chunky garlic cloves, which should be peeled, sliced thin, and inserted into stab wounds near the leg bone.
- Once the lamb has rested for 10 minutes, serve it with recipes like nutritious warm artichoke salad or roasted vegetable medley, drenched in the shallot sauce and rendered goose or duck fat.
