Recipe video above. A very forgiving, very easy way to roast a leg of lamb, where the meat is slow-cooked until it's tender enough to pull it off the bone with tongs. It is not the blushing pink flesh carving sort (use this traditional Roast Lamb recipe if that's what you're after). Lamb leg is lean, so to slow cook it's best to partially submerge in a flavoured liquid which keeps the flesh moist plus infuses with flavour. I'm using garlic and rosemary in this recipe - classic lamb flavours!**IMPORTANT**: Lamb leg is lean so it should only be cooked for 1.5 hours until blushing pink & juicy (per this traditional Roast Lamb recipe) or slow cooked for 4.5 hrs until fall apart (this recipe). Anything in between is tough and not nice! For more roast lamb recipes, browse the recipe collection.
Ingredients
- 2.25 kg/ 4.5 lb leg of lamb , bone in (or shoulder) (Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 1.5 tbspolive oil
- 1whole garlic head (, unpeeled, cut in half horizontally)
- 1onion (, quartered (unpeeled is fine))
- 2rosemary sprigs ((2 = whisper of rosemary flavour, 4 sprigs = stronger flavour))
- 3 cupsbeef stock/broth (, low sodium (or homemade))
- 2 cupswater
- 4 tbspflour ((white))
- 1 cupwater
- Salt and pepper (, to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 170°C/335°F (standard) or 150°C (fan).
- 2
Place garlic, onion and rosemary in a metal roasting pan.
- 3
Season lamb: Place lamb leg right side up in the pan. (Note 2) Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and rub it in.
- 4
Turn lamb over and place it so it mostly sits on the garlic and onion. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper, rub it in. (Video helpful here)
- 5
Add liquids and cover: Drizzle lamb with olive oil. Pour broth and water around the lamb - it won't cover it, that's ok, the lamb sinks into it. Cover with foil (don't use a lid, you want a bit of liquid to steam out).
- 6
Slow roast: Place in the oven and roast for 4.5 hours. (See Notes for roasting time table)
- 7
Check meat: Remove from the oven, remove foil. Turn lamb over. Check it to ensure the meat is tender enough to pry a bit off easily with a fork. If not, return, covered, to oven.
- 8
Brown lamb: Return uncovered lamb to oven for a further 45 minutes or until well browned.
- 9
Rest: Remove lamb, spoon over pan juices generously. Transfer to serving platter, cover loosely with foil while you make the gravy (stays warm for 1 - 1.5 hours).
- 10
Gravy:
- 11
Serving: