If you're planning to serve a crowd on Easter or Passover, consider roasting a leg of lamb for the main course. Roast leg of lamb is an elegant cut of meat that is tender and has very little fat. A 5 to 6 pound semi-bonelessleg of lamb easily serves 8 to 10 people, and any leftovers can be turned into sandwiches.
The following recipe creates a flavorful and spicy leg of lamb. It was adapted from one developed by Weber for their Bullet grill. The honey and salt combination creates a beautiful brown crust on the meat that helps to hold in the juices. Serve with roasted new potatoes and fresh asparagus, and the meal has "springtime" written all over it.
Honey mustard leg of lamb
1 semi-boneless leg of lamb, 5 - 6 pounds
Marinade
1/4 c. honey
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
In small bowl, mix together marinade ingredients.
Score fat on lamb leg with sharp knife, remove any of the tough membrane that may be attached and place lamb in large freezer bag or glass casserole dish. Cover with marinade and marinate meat in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, pour off marinade; reserve for basting. Pat lamb dry, lightly rub on both sides with kosher salt. If the shank end is significantly smaller than the thigh, wrap it with aluminum foil so that it won't become overdone before the rest of the leg is cooked through.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place lamb on roasting rack fat side up and put in oven. Roast 20 - 25 minutes per pound, basting meat with marinade every 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil after an hour for even browning. When the thickest part of the meat reaches the correct temperature, remove meat from oven and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
The internal temperature for rare lamb should be 145 degrees, for medium, 160 degrees and for well-done, 170 degrees.
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