Books & Spoons Preparing the Easter Lamb

With Easter just around the corner, many thoughts turn into a lamb, as the traditional Easter meal.
In many countries, lamb is an expensive meat, and some find it intimidating to prepare.
But it is actually rather easy meat to prepare. Leg of lamb is tender meat, and cooking of it is simple, results juicy and tasty. With the tenderness of the meat, you really don't need to marinate it, and if you choose so, not longer than an hour or two.
My favorite way is just to use herbs, garlic, and salt & pepper. I also like to cook it with the bone, for the flavors it will give,  even though carving it will be a little more difficult.
I love roasting robust vegetables with the lamb in the oven, but steaming/boiling or boiling them works well, too.

1.Take the meat out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking to let it come into the room temperature for more even cooking.
2.Rub the meat with olive oil, salt and pepper on a rack in a roasting pan
3.Broil the leg of lamb for five minutes on both sides, until it looks seared and brown.
4.Take it out of the oven. Turn the oven on 160 C/325 F.
5.Rub the minced garlic and rosemary into the meat, evenly coating it. I have seen people inserting whole cloves of garlic into the meat, but when you pierce the meat, you loose juices from it while cooking it. I would always use minced garlic.
6.Loosely cover the pan with an aluminum foil, and set in the middle of the oven for about an hour.
7. Remove the foil after an hour and take the temperature of the lamb. If the lamb has come to the temperature of 57 C / 135 F, you can take it out of the oven, remember it will continue cooking while it rests.
If the lamb has not reached the desired temperature, keep cooking it, and check the temperature every 20 minutes.
8. Let the leg of lamb rest for 15 minutes before carving it.

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Internal Temperatures for Bone-In Leg of Lamb
All of these cooking times take into account the fact that we broil the lamb first to sear it.
They also assume a resting period of at least 15 minutes, during which the lamb actually continues cooking internally. It's best, especially if you like rare or medium-rare lamb, to take it out at a lower temperature.
REMEMBER! These times are only guidelines. Depending on many factors, your lamb leg may roast slower or faster. Check after one hour and then continue roasting, checking frequently, until the lamb reaches your desired internal temperature.
Roasting Temperature: 160 C / 325°F

• Rare: 52 C / 125°F (about 15 minutes per pound/500 g)
• Medium-Rare: 55 C / 130°F to 135°F (about 20 minutes per pound/500g)
• Medium: 60 C/ 135°F to 140°F (about 25 minutes per pound/500g)
• Well-Done:  68 - 70 C /155°F to 165°F (about 30 minutes per pound/500g)