Lamb has always been considered an exquisite oriental dish. Recently, she has become accustomed to the western territories. It is easy to buy at butcher shops. Meet the heroine of this post, a leg of lamb baked in the oven.
Recipe content:
- Subtleties and secrets of cooking lamb leg
- How to properly pickle a leg of lamb?
- Recipe - oven baked leg
- Recipe - leg of lamb baked in the sleeve
- Recipe - bake in foil
- Oven recipe with vegetables
- Video recipes
Of the entire carcass of a ram, it is the leg that has the least amount of fat, for this reason, for the first acquaintance with this type of meat, you should choose it. A baked leg of lamb in the oven can safely take center stage on the festive table. Usually this dish is always the main one, because they are not prepared every day, but only on special occasions. It looks beautiful, the aroma is amazing, the taste is amazing … And at first glance it seems that it is extremely difficult to cook it and master the basics. But you just need to know a few tricks and subtleties, be in a cheerful mood and have enough free time.
How to cook a leg of lamb - subtleties and secrets
Cooking a leg of lamb will turn out to be a simple and even exciting business if you follow all the subtleties and secrets. We figure out what you need to know in order to delight your home and guests with juicy and appetizing meat.
- Ideal lamb meat with delicate meat fibers and no characteristic odor, that is, milk lamb. However, it is difficult to buy one, so look for an animal up to 1, 5 years old. It can be determined by the color of the fat: it should be light and elastic. Meat with yellow fat has a specific pungent odor that cannot be eliminated. Also pay attention to the delicate muscle fibers: they should be light red. The meat is brown and deep red - the animal is old. This is only suitable for minced meat.
- Before cooking, wash the leg of lamb with hot water to remove any dirt that has stuck on it. Then cut off the maximum fat from the meat. But it is not recommended to completely remove it, it protects the drying of the dish. Therefore, leave it in a small, thin, even layer.
- A culinary sleeve or foil will help keep the meat as juicy as possible. For the same purpose, do not puncture the meat for stuffing. Juice will flow out through these incisions.
- You can bake the meat yourself, with various spices and seasonings, along with a side dish (potatoes, carrots, other vegetables, as well as fruits). Be guided by your own preferences.
- When baking the legs, it is advisable to separate the bone from the lamb meat. To do this, place the leg on a cutting board with the meaty side down. Make several cuts along the pelvic bone, separating the meat from all sides. Starting at the thinnest end of the bone, carve out the meat up to the ball joint. Turn the bone out of the joint, cut the tendons, removing them.
- The leg is being prepared depending on the weight. It is calculated as follows: 1 kg of the carcass is baked for 40 minutes, plus an additional 20 minutes for the whole piece. If you have a special culinary thermometer, a temperature probe, then install it in the thick part of the meat: the dish is cooked optimally if the temperature is 65 degrees. Focus on the following degrees of doneness: medium 54-57 ° C, medium-well 60-63 ° C, well-done 65-68 ° C.
- If there is no meat thermometer, then determine readiness with a toothpick. Pierce a piece, clear juice of a light color should protrude from the puncture.
- Do not rush to cut the finished meat immediately, leave it for 20 minutes so that the juices are evenly distributed inside. Then the dish will turn out to be perfectly tender and tasty.
- When baked, the meat will release juice, which is very tasty. It can be used to make a sauce.
- Serve the finished meat immediately after cooking, cutting it into thin slices. Otherwise, the fat will solidify and the dish will not be so appetizing.
How to properly pickle a leg of lamb?
We got acquainted with the main subtleties and secrets of cooking lamb leg, it's time to learn about the nuances of the marinade. Marinade is an important part of the cooking process and should not be neglected. The meat must be given time to soak well, then it will reveal its rich aroma and taste.
For the best baked lamb results, use spices and seasonings. Culinary practice shows that mustard, paprika, ginger, lemon juice, thyme and oregano perfectly improve the taste of lamb. Dry herbs are good for rubbing your feet. Rosemary will improve almost every recipe. This herb goes well with this meat. Experienced chefs recommend that you definitely add it when cooking fresh or dry.
In eastern countries, cinnamon and pine nuts are put in lamb dishes. You can also add basil, tarragon, sage, cardamom, sesame seeds, mint, marjoram. These spices go well with lamb. The Central Asian spice - cumin will help to kill the specific mutton smell; it gives a piquant spicy note.
It is important to use spices in the right proportions and in the right combinations to bring out the aroma and flavor of the meat. The length of time the meat is in the marinade depends on the age of the animal and the size of the piece. Below are some examples of marinade, recipes are calculated for 1 kg of meat.
- Pass cumin, olive oil, rosemary, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro and onions through a blender or mince. Leave the meat in the mixture for 5-12 hours.
- Combine a glass of vegetable oil, lemon juice, parsley, laurel leaves and peppercorns. Put chopped carrots and chopped onions into the mixture. Pour in 200 ml of white wine and stir. The duration of pickling is a day.
- Chop two onions in half rings, add 5 chopped cloves of garlic, pour in half a glass of olive oil, 3 tbsp. vinegar, add a sprig of rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Marinate for 12 hours.
- Pour 1 tsp into 500 ml of water. sugar, add 2 chopped onions, uncut lemon, laurel, herbs, salt and cloves. Cook the products for 20 minutes, cool and lower the lamb. Leave it on for 6 hours.
- Combine 2 chopped onions with chopped parsley, cilantro, basil, coriander and 500 ml of kefir. Stir and marinate for 10 hours.
- Mix 200 ml of pomegranate juice, 50 ml of vodka, herbs and spices and dip the meat into the composition. Marinate for 8 hours.
- Combine 250 ml of yogurt with 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp. mint leaves, paprika and paprika. Coat the leg of lamb and leave for 12 hours.
Oven-baked leg of lamb
The baked lamb leg even sounds festive. It will decorate New Year's holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, and any celebration. Appetizing crust, juicy pulp, aroma of herbs - the decoration of any meal. Bake the food observing all the subtleties, then guests and loved ones will definitely like an excellent edible gift.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 231 kcal.
- Servings - 2-3
- Cooking time - about 7.5 hours, of which 3 hours marinating, 3.5 hours baking
Ingredients:
- Leg of lamb - 1 pc.
- Fresh rosemary - a couple of sprigs
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
- Ground red and black pepper - a pinch
- Cilantro seeds - 0.5 tsp
- Sweet paprika - 1 tsp
As everyone has prepared, we proceed to the most important part of the culinary masterpiece!
Cooking leg of lamb in the oven step by step
- Remove excess veins and films from lamb. Season with salt and pepper, rubbing the food into the lamb pulp.
- Make a sauce by combining olive oil, cilantro seeds, minced garlic and rosemary.
- Coat the leg of lamb with sauce and leave to marinate for 1-3 hours, but you can also keep it in the refrigerator for a day.
- Put the pickled lamb in a baking bag, tie tightly on the sides to preserve all the juice, and send the lamb in a preheated oven to 130 ° C for 1.5 hours to warm up. Then in the oven, increase the temperature to 200 degrees and wait another 1-2 hours.
Leg of lamb baked in the sleeve
Leg of lamb in the sleeve is a wonderful combination of beauty, taste and aroma. Having put such a treat on the table, the dish will become a legendary meal, and Italian herbs with a spicy sauce will take care of it.
Ingredients:
- Leg of lamb - 1.7-2 kg
- Coarse salt - 1 tablespoon
- Granular Dijon mustard - 2 tsp
- Spices: rosemary, Provencal herbs, cumin - 0.5 tsp each.
Step-by-step cooking of the leg of lamb in the sleeve
- Cut off excess fat, fat and film from the meat. Chop off unnecessary pieces.
- Place all herbs in a mortar and grind.
- Add salt and rub well.
- Spread the mixture over the meat. After that, coat with mustard and put the piece in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, but it is possible for a longer time.
- Preheat the oven to 220 ° C. Put the lamb in a sleeve, place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Then reduce the heat of the frypot to 180 ° C and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Next, carefully cut the sleeve on top, pour the juice over the meat and continue baking for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Leg of lamb baked in foil
Lamb is not a traditional dish in our country. Therefore, it appears on our tables very rarely. And when it is cooked, the preparation is a grand culinary event. A leg of lamb in foil is a non-standard dish that will allow everyone to cook for the next festive meal.
Ingredients:
- Leg of a young lamb - 1 pc. weighing about 2 kg
- Rosemary or thyme - a few sprigs
- Mustard - 4-6 tablespoons
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- Honey - 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- Garlic - 1 head
- Salt, freshly ground pepper - 1 tsp each.
Cooking leg of lamb in foil step by step
- Wash the lamb and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Cut off excess fat from the leg, leaving a thin layer.
- Prepare the marinade. Peel and chop the garlic.
- Combine mustard, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, thyme or rosemary leaves.
- Rub the ham with salt and freshly ground pepper, coat with marinade, cover with rosemary and wrap in foil. Put the piece in the refrigerator for a day.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator 2 hours before baking and let it come to room temperature.
- Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and place the ham without the foil.
- Heat the oven to 230 ° C and leave the lamb for 15 minutes to brown. Then reduce the temperature to 100 ° C, cover the ham with foil and bake for 3 hours. Then reduce the temperature to 90 ° C and cook for another 1.5 hours. But the specific baking time depends on the weight of the lamb.
- Leave the finished ham in a warm place for 15 minutes without unfolding it from foil, rest.
Leg of lamb in the oven - recipe with vegetables
For a recipe for baked lamb leg with vegetables, you can use all kinds of side dish combinations. For example, eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, etc. Baked lamb flavored with garlic and aromatic spices will be combined with any product, resulting in a real culinary delight.
Ingredients:
- Hind leg of a young lamb - 1.5 kg
- Garlic - 2 heads
- Rosemary (fresh or dry) - 3 sprigs
- Thyme - 1 tsp
- Potatoes - 1kg.
- Carrots - 2 pcs.
- Bulb onions - 2 pcs.
- Paprika - 1 tsp
- Dry white wine - 100ml
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- Salt, freshly ground pepper - 1 tsp each.
Cooking leg of lamb with vegetables step by step
- Mash rosemary, thyme, freshly ground pepper and 1 clove of garlic with salt.
- Add olive oil and stir.
- Wash the leg of lamb, dry it, cut off excess fat, leaving a thin layer, and rub with the resulting mixture.
- Wrap it in foil and refrigerate for 2 hours. Then remove and leave to warm to room temperature.
- Peel the onion and cut into halves.
- Peel the potatoes, wash and cut the large tubers into halves or quarters.
- Peel the carrots, rinse and cut into large pieces.
- Place the vegetables in a bowl, add finely chopped garlic, rosemary and paprika. Season with salt, pepper and oil. Stir
- Put the leg of lamb in a greased baking sheet, put the vegetables next to it and send the baking sheet in a preheated oven to 240 ° C for half an hour.
- Then pour wine or broth into a baking sheet, cover with foil, reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees and bake for 1.5 hours.
Video recipes:
