Broiled and Slow-Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb With Cumin and Garlic

20 Reviews

“Who says making a feast has to take forever? For large gatherings like Passover and Easter, leg of lamb is the roast of choice, and arranged on a platter garnished with herbs, it makes a stunning centerpiece. Buying leg of lamb butterflied from the butcher will leave you time to socialize while it is slow-roasting without worrying about uneven cooking.” - by USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 (8 pound) leg of lamb, boned and butterflied to a more or less even thickness, 4 3/4 to 5 1/2 pounds trimmed weight, fell and most fat removed
1 lemon, juiced
Minced fresh parsley, cilantro or mint (optional)

Hide Checklist

Adjust Servings

Adjust

Metric US

Original recipe yields 12 - 14 servings

Directions

Mix oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano; spread paste on both sides of the lamb and let stand for an hour until meat comes to room temperature.
Adjust oven rack to upper or upper-middle position (depending on lamb's thickness) and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes.
Place lamb, cut side up, on a large wire rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan. Broil, moving pan so entire surface browns evenly, about 8 minutes. Turn lamb over; continue to broil until well browned on the other side, about 8 minutes longer. Turn off broiler, remove lamb from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Stick a meat thermometer into the thickest portion of the lamb; return it to the oven. Roast for a total of 50 minutes to 1 hour, until thermometer registers a rosy-pink 140 degrees. Check lamb several times after 30 minutes. If lamb gets done sooner, simply turn down oven to 170 degrees until ready to serve.
As soon as lamb comes out of the oven, squeeze on lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Carve, slicing across the grain when possible. Arrange on a platter, drizzle with accumulated juices, and serve.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (14 total)

Calories
336 cal
17%

Fat
22.8 g
35%

Carbs
2.2 g
< 1%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Share It

Reviews (20)

Rate This Recipe

joefarmer

Dec. 2, 2004

"I followed the directions perfectly. This recipe turned out to be an excellent way to ruin a good piece of meat from my favorite butcher. It turned out tasting like chicken liver...." See more"

A

Mar. 25, 2007

"A wonderful dish! Even the kids liked it. I rubbed the "gloop" into the meat the night before and it was wonderful. A great preparation for even a cheap cut of lamb (I was using a leg from Sam's cl..." See moreub so not the best quality and this recipe made it taste like $15 a pound lamb!) Tender and juicy - the searing keeps the juices in. I served it with new potatoes and asparagus and got rave reviews from my picky crowd."

ConnieM

Mar. 3, 2010

"I always cringed whenever I heard we were having lamb for dinner - I hated lamb - period - so I avoided eating it at all costs while growing up and well into my adult life. However, my husband loves ..." See moreit so I decided to give it a try. I found this recipe right here online and gave it a go. I ABSOLUTELY loved it. LOVED it! The recipe was fabulous (although I added plenty more garlic to mine). I took this photo of my first ever pride and joy lamb roast and have served it to guests three times now. They all raved about how delicious, juicy and tender it was. So, I thought I'd share my photo with all of you. I threw the potatoes and carrots in just to add some color to the photo. Enjoy!"

More Reviews