I love pairing lamb with tons of herbs and spices, it blends beautifully with robust flavor profiles. This oven braised lamb leg roast recipe features an herb and spice paste that when rubbed into the meat and left to marinate, creates an amazing roast packed with savory flavor. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by cooking a leg of lamb, this is the perfect first recipe to try it out with. Serve with harissa on the side for a kick of Middle Eastern flavor.

Also Read: Flavorful Moroccan Inspired Harissa Spiced Lamb Burgers

The Best Tasting & Most Ethically Sourced Lamb

Our lamb is raised on the North Island of New Zealand, in the incredibly beautiful foothills of Mount Ruapehu. The lambs are born and live their lives freely roaming the lush green landscape. These animals are raised by the Maori people native to New Zealand, and have been bred for generations for extraordinary taste and quality. They graze on verdant green grass rich with nutrients and are never given any type of antibiotics or growth hormones.

Why We Choose Lamb Raised In New Zealand

Lambs in New Zealand graze on some of the world’s most lush and nutrient rich pastures. The country enjoys a unique, subtropical climate that encourages animals and plants alike to flourish. New Zealand has some of the best conditions in the world for raising lamb, which might explain why their population outnumbers humans. Cultural traditions in New Zealand make it the industry standard to raise meat humanely and naturally. New Zealand lamb is grass fed throughout its life, unlike American lamb which is often grain finished to encourage larger size and higher body fat percentage. New Zealand lambs are smaller in size, because they were allowed to grow and develop the way nature intended.

Also Read: Roasted Leg Of Lamb: A Simple And Delicious Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
• ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup avocado oil
• 1 lamb leg roast
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 1 head of garlic cut in half
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• ½ cup dry red wine

Also Read: Traditional English Shepherd’s Pie Recipe With Ground Lamb

Instructions:

1. Toast the cumin seeds, dry, in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat. Toss constantly for approximately 2 minutes, taking care not to let them burn. Set the seeds aside to cool.
2. Crush the cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill (a coffee grinder will work, too).
3. Make a paste out of the garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme and black pepper. You can either pound them together using a mortar and pestle or pulse them in a food processor. Mix in the cumin seeds, then stir in ⅔ of the avocado oil in a constant stream. Stir together until a thick paste is formed.
4. Season the lamb leg roast all over with sea salt. Rub half of the paste on the inside of the roast. Roll it up as best you can, starting with a short end and securing with several pieces of kitchen twine. Rub the other half of the paste on the outside of the roast. Let the roast chill and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours and as long as 12 hours.
5. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature. This will ensure an evenly cooked roast.
6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the lamb for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until browned all over.
7. Remove the roast from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Heat the remaining avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, carrot and garlic to the pot. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and golden brown. Add the red pepper flakes and wine to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then remove the pot from the heat.
9. Place the lamb in the pot and add water until the lamb roast is halfway submerged.
10. Place in the oven and braise, uncovered, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Check after 30 minutes. When finished cooking, transfer the roast to a cutting board and rest for 30 minutes.
11. Slice the lamb roast and transfer to a platter for serving. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top and season with sea salt. If desired, serve with harissa paste.

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Our Friendly & Knowledgeable Team Is Here To Help

At Beck & Bulow, we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service. We’re always here to help if you have any questions regarding your meat, want help making selections, or are just looking for some cooking tips. Every time you call our office, you’ll be directly connected with one of our team members right here in Santa Fe, New Mexico where we’re based.

Every cut of meat is pressure sealed and flash frozen immediately after butchering at the peak of freshness. We work exclusively with master butchers who make every cut with care and precision. All orders are hand packed at our Santa Fe warehouse, shipped in a reusable cooler with dry ice and delivered straight to your doorstep. Check out our selections of humanely raised chicken, elk, bison, beef, lamb, wild boar and seafood.