How to cook a front leg of lamb. Lamb leg in foil. Elena Magnenan's Recipes

Before you bake lamb in the oven in foil, let's first understand why this is done at all. In the sense that this method gives us, and in what cases it should be preferred over open baking.

Oven-wrapped leg of lamb in foil is a dish you can make if you want to use a "blanket" covering of lamb with garlic, fresh herbs and cheese. Any of these three components is a direct indication in order to bake the leg in foil, and not in an open way. Any of them at open method burn out.

Another feature by which you can find out that it is better for you to bake a leg in foil is if you see that the meat is not very fatty. Such pieces have a greater risk of being overdried when baked open. But, being baked in foil, they give the optimal quality of meat for cold lamb.

The minus of baking in foil is that the meat will not have a delicious fried crust, which I personally appreciate very much in lamb.

The calculation of the ingredients is as follows: for each full 500 g of boneless lamb - 1 tsp. fine crystalline salt, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil and 1-2 cloves of garlic. Greens should be in a solid bunch. I use a few more pieces of smoked cuts - purely for flavor, this is an optional feature.

Before cooking the meat, we set the oven to warm up to 250 C with air circulation.

We remove the bone from the lamb and weigh the meat to calculate the amount of the remaining ingredients.

We clean the garlic.

Grind or grind butter, salt, herbs and garlic into a creamy puree. You should get a fairly thick sticky slurry.

I put some smoked meats in place of the bones.

We coat the meat with green gruel on all sides.

We place it in a completely closed foil envelope with the flap up. We bake it in a preheated oven at an average level at a temperature of 250 degrees for 20 minutes, and then at a temperature of 180 degrees - 10 minutes for every 500 grams. weight, even incomplete.

When you open the valve, the lamb should still ooze blood. We lower the temperature to 160 and bring the meat to any degree of readiness you want. Since I am going to use part of the cut for cold cutting, I need pink meat. As you can see, it actively secretes cloudy juice from me.

Of course, this meat can also be eaten hot.

As you can see, the layer of fat in this leg is very thin. When the leg of lamb baked in the oven in foil has completely cooled and hardened, the fat can be easily removed right in a whole layer, and after that the lamb can be cut into thin slices for sandwiches.

Baked lamb leg - a dish for all occasions. Due to its size, with the help of such a dish you will be able to feed a crowd of guests or forget about cooking for the whole family for about 4 days. The beauty of roasting a ham is the simplicity of the process, and the result will meet all expectations! It will be not only tasty, but also useful.

How to cook a leg of lamb in the oven

Meaty ham can be supplemented with vegetables, spices and various herbs. In any case, the meat is juicy and tender in taste. Before you bake a leg of lamb in the oven, you need to figure out the choice. It is better to buy the back of the lamb. This carcass has no bad smell and not very oily. If you notice yellow fat on a leg of lamb, then it is better to refuse this piece: no matter how you marinate, it will have a specific aroma.

How much to bake

Such a baked leg, compared to simple pork, should be cooked longer. Foot size plays a big role. Time must be calculated according to this principle: for each kilogram of weight for an hour. In order not to suffer with how much lamb is cooked in the oven, it is worth purchasing a culinary thermometer. Having installed it in the widest place of the carcass, the hostess should see 65 C of the internal temperature. This testifies to fully prepared drumsticks. After turning off the oven, the leg of lamb should still be infused for 20 minutes.

How to pickle

The pickling method depends on the quality lamb ham. If good meat was bought, then it will be enough to salt, pepper and add aromatic spices with olive oil. For roasting, it is better to choose a part of a young lamb. If the animal is under 18 months old, then the fibers retain a large amount of nucleic acid, there is no characteristic specific odor.

Also great for pickling garlic, onions, red peppers and tomatoes. Such Caucasian spices as suneli hops, cilantro, cumin will saturate the shank with a special aroma. Many people have difficulty with how to marinate a leg of lamb for baking if the meat is tough. Professionals advise using kiwi for this case. The leg is rubbed fruit puree and marinate for an hour or two. All hardness will go away. In addition, you can boil the shank, and then start the main cooking using the oven.

Oven leg of lamb recipe

There are many options for cooking shank using the oven. This dish looks very beautiful and festive, as in the photo. Baked shank can go both immediately with a side dish, and without it. For this, potatoes or grains, beans are suitable. Many people prefer to cook with a sleeve, which makes the oven lamb recipe even easier to follow. In this case, the dish will never burn, retain its aroma, juice and juiciness.

in foil

The presented recipe is often used for special occasion. The dish is not traditional food our region, so it is happily prepared for the holidays. Roasting a leg of lamb in the foil oven is very easy if you have a good back of meat and spices at home. Thanks to the thin metal wrapper, aromas and juiciness do not evaporate outwards. In addition, the view of such a dish is amazing!

Ingredients:

leg of lamb - 2.5 kg;
prunes - 200 g;
carrot - 1 pc.;
white bow- 2 pcs.;
parsley - 1 bunch;
garlic - 6 cloves;
mustard - 2 tbsp. l.;
lemon - 1 pc.;
olive oil - 4 tbsp. l.;
spices.

Cooking method

Wash the ham, free from excess fat.
For the marinade, use various seasonings: peas, lavrushka, Provencal herbs and basil. Add parsley, chopped garlic to dry mixtures. Pour the resulting mass with olive oil, juice fresh lemon, mix well.
Thoroughly rub the leg with the marinade. Wrap in foil for 12 hours.
Before baking, make deep cuts in the leg, lay them with prunes, herbs.
Thoroughly rub the leg with mustard and salt, put pieces of carrots and onions around.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees and send the leg wrapped in foil inside.
After an hour, lower the temperature to 180 C, open the foil.
Cook for another 60 minutes, occasionally basting the lamb with its own juices.
After 2 hours, let the baked dish brew, wrapped in foil, for another 20 minutes.

With potato

baked lamb shoulder- it's tasty and nutritious. Lamb meat contains a large amount of protein, as for cholesterol, it is at a minimum. Combined with potatoes, it comes out very satisfying. Housewives will appreciate the simplicity and ease of the cooking process. This option does not take much time, and due to the fact that lamb with potatoes in the oven in the sleeve turns out to be impressive volumes, you can eat a baked dish for several days.

Ingredients:

leg of lamb - 1 kg;
potatoes - 2 kg;
lavrushka - 2 leaves;
white onion - 2 heads;
oregano - 2 pinches;
sunflower oil - 3 tbsp. l.;
spice mix.

Cooking method

Wash the leg of lamb, dry with a paper towel. If desired, you can grind to get a full-fledged roast, or leave whole.
Salt the ham, add spices. Leave to marinate for 40 minutes
Peel the onion, chop large pieces.
Wash the potatoes, chop into bars no thinner than 1 cm.
Mix vegetables together, add salt and pepper.
Grease a baking sheet with oil, put potatoes and onions on it, ham on top. Sprinkle all the oregano and other spices.
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees, put the dish for 45 minutes.
Periodically pour over the baked ham with the broth that is collected in the pan. If it is not enough, add half a glass of dry wine.
After the required time has elapsed, let the dish cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

in beer

A polyethylene sleeve is a universal invention that comes to the aid of the hostess in any situation, even if she does not know how to bake a leg of lamb in the oven. This cooking technique requires minimal effort. Everything, no matter what the carcass is stuffed with, will convey its aroma. Lamb baked with a sleeve does not require time. Just expose desired temperature and forget about the dish. After 3 hours, you will get a juicy and festive dish. A leg of lamb baked in beer according to this recipe will come out amazing. If not whole piece, according to this principle, you can make a rudder.

Ingredients:

mutton ham - 1.5 kg;
white onion - 2 pcs.;
garlic - 4 cloves;
basil - a small bunch;
lavrushka - 2 leaves;
black pepper - 1 tsp;
olive oil - 3 tbsp. l.;
wine vinegar- 1 tsp;
hot pepper - 1 pc.;
beer - 1 glass.
salt as needed.

Cooking method

Wash and dry the ham with a paper towel.
Make shallow cuts in the shank, stuff with garlic and bay leaves, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
In olive oil, add half a glass of beer, herbs, vinegar, hot peppers and rub your leg. Leave for 2 hours.
Cut the onion into rings, put them on the sleeve.
On the onion pillow a leg is laid out, poured with beer.
Send the ham to the oven preheated to 200 C for 3 hours.
30 minutes before readiness, open the sleeve and reduce the heat to 180 C. Periodically water the shank with a beer bowl.

With vegetables

Leg of lamb goes well with a side dish of vegetables. Potatoes, tomatoes and carrots will not only help to better open taste qualities meat carcass, and add flavor, make the baked dish even more appetizing. If you like a leg of lamb with vegetables in the oven, but do not know how to cook the dish yourself, follow the recipe presented. For such option is suitable both whole parts and pieces.

Ingredients:

lamb ham - 500 g;
potatoes - 200 g;
carrot - 1 pc.;
onion - 1 pc.;
tomatoes - 3 pcs.;
sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons;
spices, salt to taste.

Cooking method

Wash lamb, remove excess fat. For the marinade, use spices, salt and sunflower oil. Rub generously on a piece of meat. Leave to marinate for an hour.
Cut vegetables into large pieces, put on the bottom of a deep baking bowl.
A ham is laid out on vegetables, half a glass of water is added.
Preheat the oven to 200 C, place the bowl. Cook for 1.5 hours with the lid closed.
After the set time has elapsed, remove the lid and leave the dish in the oven to form a golden crust.

with quince

If you like unusual culinary improvisations, try combining sweet and sour quince with fatty fragrant meat. With such a baked dish, you can easily surprise guests with your gastronomic talents. unusual fruit, although it has its own sweetness, will not kill the wonderful taste of meat, but will emphasize it. The fruit contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Only 2 hours of time, and a juicy leg of lamb baked with quince will appear on the table.

Ingredients:

leg of lamb - 1.5 kg;
quince - 0.3 kg;
carrots - 2 pcs.;
white onion - 2 pcs.;
lavrushka - 2 pcs.;
garlic - 1 head;
cardamom - 6 pcs.;
a mixture of peppers;
salt.

Cooking method

Peel the onion, cut into large pieces.
Wash carrots, cut into large squares.
Quince should be chosen ripe, with a clean and smooth yellow peel. Wash the fruit, cut into slices. Do not remove the skin, otherwise the quince will become porridge during cooking.
glass mold for baking, cover with foil.
Put onions, carrots, Bay leaf, add spices. If you want the meat to be more fragrant, then it is better to peel the cardamom. On the vegetable pillow place ham.
Sprinkle lamb generously with quince on top, add 2 cups of water to the total mass.
Cook under a closed lid for 2 hours at a temperature of 180 C.

in mustard

A simple recipe will appeal to both experienced and novice cooks. Aromatic mustard will allow lamb to better reveal its potential, satisfy even the most demanding gourmet. If you do not know how to cook the back, then remember this recipe. Lamb leg in mustard baked in the oven is holiday dish which can be easily prepared every day.

Ingredients:

leg of lamb - 1.5 kg;
Dijon mustard - 2 tbsp. l.;
vegetable oil- 2 tbsp. l.;
pepper mixture, salt.

Cooking method

Wash the leg, cut off the remnants of fat and tendons. Rub generously with salt and pepper.
To marinate meat, you need to mix mustard and oil. Thoroughly coat the ham with the resulting mass, leave for an hour or two.
The leg in the sleeve is thrust into an oven preheated to 200 C. For 1.5, 2.5 hours is enough, but if the mass of the shank is larger, the time needs to be increased.
After the required time has elapsed, we take out the ham, separate the bones (this will be easy) and serve.

Stuffed leg of lamb

If you do not know how to cook a delicious dish for the holiday, then pay attention to this recipe. Stuffed lamb leg baked in the oven - chic dish for the celebration. The food will become excellent choice for those who do not like to spend a lot of time at the oven. Thanks to the large volume whole family can eat for several days. Suitable for stuffing different mushrooms or even mixtures of them. For flavor, you can use cumin, rosemary and other spices. Spices will only emphasize the taste of a special kind of meat.

Ingredients:

leg of lamb - 1.5 kg;
mushrooms - 400 g;
olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.
a mixture of peppers, cumin, salt as needed.

Cooking method

Wash the mushrooms under running water, soak in a bowl.
Clean the lamb from excess fat, remove the bones through small incisions.
Mix olive oil with spices and salt, rub the meat and leave for an hour.
Pour chopped mushrooms into a heated pan. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Ready mushrooms put into cuts in the meat.
Rewind the cuts with thread or close with skewers.
Put the leg on a greased baking sheet and bake at a temperature of 200 C for 80 minutes.

with rosemary

If lamb is not a typical dish for our region, then in France it is cooked very often. As additional ingredients mostly use rosemary and garlic. These spices add a special flavor to the dish. Leg of lamb with rosemary is very easy to prepare, it turns out juicy and soft. Her secret is special recipe pickling and temperature regime, which will allow the meat to retain all the vitamins, while not remaining raw.

Ingredients:

young lamb - 1.5 kg;
garlic - 3 cloves;
rosemary - 5 branches;
red wine - 150 g;
butter - 200 g;
salt and spices as needed.

Cooking method

Wash meat, leave room temperature.
Melt the butter and pour it into a bowl. Add chopped or squeezed garlic, rosemary leaves, salt and other spices to the mass. Stir the marinade with a fork.
Cut the cooled lamb deep several times so that the depth of the holes makes it possible to stick a finger inside.
Rub the lamb leg generously with the marinade, paying particular attention to the cuts.
Put the shank on a greased baking sheet, cover with foil. Put in an oven preheated to 200 C for 40 minutes.
After the time has elapsed, you need to remove the foil and leave the lamb leg in the oven for another 50 minutes.
To prepare the sauce, heat the wine well, add butter and a tablespoon of flour. Mix until smooth.
Baked before serving leg of lamb pour sauce over meat.

In the test

Dishes in the dough are especially juicy, since all the liquid remains inside. Appetizing crust gives the dish not only more attractive appearance, but also adds satiety. Leg of lamb in dough baked in the oven is suitable as a main dish on ceremonial table so for every day. To cook it, you need to remember a couple simple secrets described in this recipe.

Ingredients:

leg of lamb - 1 kg;
puff pastry- 200 g;
tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
capers - 1 tbsp. l.;
garlic - 10 teeth;
anchovies - 4 pcs.;
olives - 100 g;
eggs - 1 pc.;
cilantro - a small bunch;
pepper mixture, salt as needed.

Cooking method

back lamb wash, free from excess fat and sinew.
Carefully remove the bone so that later it turns out to form a roll.
Peel the garlic, mince or use a garlic press.
Make several deep incisions in the leg, insert teeth into them.
Fold the meat so that you get a roll, secure with a thread.
Generously coat the shank with salt and a mixture of peppers, spread with oil.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Place the meat in the oven, drizzle with olive oil, put cumin. Leave to cook 50 minutes.
To prepare topenade, chop greens, olives, capers, tomatoes. Add olive oil, anchovies and a couple of garlic cloves to the resulting mass. Whisk all ingredients until smooth.
Remove the knuckle from the oven, cool, generously grease with topenade.
Roll out the puff pastry, wrap the lamb with it, coat the “wrapper” raw egg.
Preheat the oven to 180 C oven, put the dish for 45 minutes.
Serve the baked lamb with dough in portions.

Marinade for lamb in the oven

Pledge delicious dish- good meat, but do not forget about the importance of the marinade. He is able to transform the dish, open it with better side. Special Sauce will not only add flavor, but also help to make tough meat soft, will kill a specific smell if you did not manage to get a young lamb. A simple marinade for a leg of lamb in the oven based on olive oil and spices will be inexpensive, but will make the baked dish very tasty.

Ingredients:

olive oil - 4 tbsp. l.;
mustard - 2 tbsp. l.;
rosemary - 5 branches;
garlic - 6 cloves;
spices, salt.

Cooking method

Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press into the olive oil and mustard.
Pour spices, salt into the resulting mass.
Mix everything until smooth, grease the meat.

Video

Of course, the leg of lamb baked in the oven in foil takes time to cook. But the alluring aroma of the dish, which hovers throughout the kitchen at the time of baking, is beyond words. The baked leg of lamb is soft, juicy and very tasty. Rice garnish, with which the meat is served hot, is fully combined and complements the dish. How delicious to cook a leg of lamb in the oven in foil, I will tell in this recipe of mine. The description is accompanied by step by step photographs.

Ingredients:

2.5 kg of fresh lamb thigh on the bone;
6 garlic cloves + 1 teaspoon coarse salt;
200 ml water + 1 bay leaf.

Spices for lamb 1 teaspoon:

zira (cumin) seeds;
coarse salt;
dried thyme;
pepper mixtures;
dried paprika;
1/3 teaspoon of saffron.

How to bake a leg of lamb in the oven in foil

We wash the leg of lamb with water and cut off all the excess film and big chunks fat, if any. Peeled garlic cloves cut into two or large quantity parts and put them in a bowl with salt, mix. With a sharp knife, make cuts deep into the leg and push the garlic there. So we fill the whole leg with garlic salted pieces.

Then we rub the meat with the indicated spices and salt.

We cover the glass or metal form for frying with foil so that we get the sides, put it in it stuffed with garlic and spices lamb leg and cover with foil. We leave the maso in this form to marinate for about three hours in the refrigerator.

Set the oven to 180°C.

Before you put your foot in the oven, open the foil, pour in water and put a bay leaf. Wrap the foil tightly around the edges and send to the oven.

Two hours later, when the leg of lamb baked in the oven is ready, remove the foil completely.

Pour the meat with the resulting broth and again put it in the oven, but without foil, so that the top is browned.

Here is such a juicy and fragrant lamb leg, baked in the oven, in a section I got it.

Tender and fragrant lamb leg baked in the oven is best combined with.

Be sure to try roast lamb according to this recipe. I am sure that both the hostess and the eaters will be delighted with such a dish.

The secret of the longevity of the venerable Caucasian aksakals is not so much in the clean mountain air and hiking after the flocks, but in a special meat menu. Favorite delicacy inhabitants of the mountains - lamb, namely, tender and juicy lamb leg, rubbed with a mix of fragrant spices and whole cooked on a fire or baked in the oven.

Each of the many peoples living at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains and in their vicinity has their own secrets of cooking meat, and we will share some of them.

Lamb leg - the main dish of the feast

In the Caucasus, not every guest is greeted with a leg of lamb baked in spices, but only the most desired and respected. If you also have to host someone special at home, then you can treat him with this particular delicacy. And in order for it to turn out right and cause a desire to taste additives, you should start cooking it with the choice of meat.

Only from the meat of a young lamb (an animal under 1 year old is considered such) can a real meat delicacy be prepared. The color of the fillet will help determine the age of the lamb: in a young individual, the tenderloin is light with a pinkish tint, tender and almost fat-free.
Thin layers of fat on lamb are white. A yellowish tint indicates that the ram has lived in the world for several years.
Lamb shank for baking in the oven must certainly be the freshest. Determining freshness is simple: press your finger on the fillet, and if it springs up and there is no dent left on it, then you can take it.
Of course, you can freeze lamb fillet on the bone, but the taste during cooking will no longer be as impressive as the taste of fresh meat.

The subtleties of cooking a leg of lamb in a home oven

The first and, perhaps, the most important subtlety - the meat must be kept in the oven before being sent to the oven for baking. spicy marinade.

The pickling period is at least 12 hours, and even better - 2 days. Such a long stay in the marinade is necessary to remove the specific aroma of lamb fillet.

Usually meat can be washed in any water, but lamb - only in warm water. Cold water will not cope with the fatty film that covers the lamb meat fibers from the inside, and will not clean contaminated places well.

The leg can be baked both on the bone and without it. If you are more impressed with the second option, then you need to put the shank before marinating meat part down, make an incision along the bone and in a circular motion (using pruning) remove the bone.

You should not cut off all the fat layers, otherwise, as a result, a piece of fillet that is too dry will end up on the plate.

Zira interrupts easily bad smell and at the same time gives the lamb a delicious spicy flavor.
In the olive oil-based marinade, add a little dried basil, a couple of sprigs of tarragon, a pinch of mint, ground cardamom, a handful of sesame seeds, oregano. Adjust the amount to taste. And no flavor enhancers!

Leg of lamb baked in the oven in a spicy marinade: Caucasian recipe

Ingredients

- about 2 kg + -
- 3 large cloves + -
- 100 ml + -
Collection of spices for lamb- 0.5 tsp + -
Zira grains - 2-4 tsp + -
coriander seeds- 1 tsp + -
Hot red pepper (powder)- 1 tsp + -
- 1 tsp + -
Rosemary - 1-2 tsp + -
- 1-2 tablespoons + -
- 1 st. + -

How to bake a delicious leg of lamb in a home oven in foil

We offer one of best recipes roast lamb shank. It is simple and economical, but in order to make real delicacy from the meat of a young lamb, it will take time to marinate the fillet. Therefore, plan a feast with a Caucasian flavor in advance.

Let's take care of the marinade

First of all, we combine cumin in one mortar (it is indispensable when cooking lamb - do not spare it!), Coriander, peppercorns (black), rosemary.
The grains of all these spices need to be crushed or ground, but not too finely. You can use a special kitchen grinder for spices or a regular coffee grinder.
In the fragrant mixture, add spices for lamb (sold in the market), chopped garlic cloves, red chili.
Now we will fill all the spices collected together with olive oil, salt. The consistency of the mass for pickling should be the same as mashed potatoes- medium density.

Let's start preparing the meat

We wash the leg, cut off the lower part along the joint - there is still not enough meat there.
We cover the leg of lamb with a fragrant oil mixture and rub it well. For best effect in the meat before this, you can make holes with a sharp knife and lay part of the spicy mixture there.
We take a sleeve for baking (a regular one will do plastic bag), put the meat there, wrap it tightly and send it to the refrigerator for 1.5, and even better - for 2 days.

Features of roasting marinated lamb in the oven

We turn on the oven, set the temperature scale to 160 degrees.
We take a high form with sides (glass or ceramics), put a well-marinated leg into it, taking it out of the bag before that.
Pour water into the bottom so that the meat does not burn during stewing.
Before sending the form to the oven, cover it with a sheet of foil on top and tuck it to create tightness.
The roasting time of meat is at least 4 hours, and if the leg is wide in section, then all 4.5 hours will go away.

When the timer beeps, remove the mold from the oven, remove the foil and remove the leg. Its meat turns out to be so soft that it will not work to cut it into even slices, like boiled pork.

And in the Caucasus, they don’t stand on ceremony with it too much, but serve a treat, simply breaking it into pieces. as a pleasant and delicious addition make it white vegetable salad topped with sour cream or low-fat yogurt.

The original homemade recipe for leg of lamb in the oven with dried apricots

This recipe is more suitable for those who do not like a large number spices and prefers delicate flavors. Lemon juice will give the lamb fillet softness, and dried apricots will enrich it with a slightly audible fruity aroma.

Ingredients

Lamb leg (small) - about 1 kg;
Zira - 1-2 tsp;
Light dried apricots - 10 dried fruits;
Rosemary dry - 2 sprigs;
Basil (dried) - 2 tsp;
Powdered black pepper - 1/2 tsp;
Lemon - half a fresh fruit;
Olive oil - 3-4 tbsp. l.;
Salt - 1 tsp.

How to cook leg of lamb step by step in the oven in foil with dried apricots

Add the prepared spices to the olive oil (you can put them whole or grind them in a coffee grinder), add some salt, squeeze out the lemon juice.
Mix all the marinade ingredients and set aside for now.
Cut dried apricots in half.
Armed with a thin sharp knife, we make deep punctures along the bone - from the side of the thigh and shank, as well as in the fleshy part.
We put dried apricots in them, sticking it as deep as possible.
Now the lamb leg needs to be rubbed on all sides with a salted butter-spicy mixture.
wrapped in cling film, we send it to "rest" in the refrigerator.
When the meat on the bone is thoroughly marinated and softened, we put it in an oven preheated to 200 degrees, placing it on a wire rack. Do not forget to put a baking sheet under the bottom, where the fat will drain. You can also bake on a baking sheet, as described in the previous recipe.

Cooking time depends on the thickness of the leg and the characteristics of the oven, but on average it takes 2-2.5 hours. We check the softness of the meat and its degree of baking in the old fashioned way - with the help of a fork: if it easily pierces the fillet and pink ichor does not flow out of the holes, then the treat is ready.

If the leg suddenly starts to burn, you need to reduce the heat from the burning side or cover that place with foil.

Meat on the table is always appropriate and "makes the weather" during any celebration. Properly marinated and baked in the oven leg of lamb - much more tasty alternative fried chicken wings and thighs.

Drinking a treat with good dry wine from grapes harvested in the valleys sunny Georgia or at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, the conversation will become truly sincere.

Of the entire carcass, the leg of lamb has the least amount of fat, so for the first acquaintance with this meat, you can confidently choose it. When buying, you should pay attention to the color of the product: the fat should be as light as possible! If it is yellow, cook a lamb dish even in a slow cooker, even in the oven, but as a result, you are unlikely to be able to enjoy it because of the specific pungent smell. You can also pre-marinate the lamb before baking, you can use any marinade to your liking. Perhaps every housewife has her own proven method of marinating.

Secrets of Roasting a Lamb

Perfect taste without characteristic odor has tender milk lamb meat. But it is difficult to buy it (deficit), but it costs more than ordinary lamb. Therefore, your attention should be attracted to the meat of an animal up to 18 months old. You can determine it both by the light color of the fat, and by the gentle tone of the muscle fibers themselves. If they are saturated red, brown - the animal is old.
Before cooking a leg of lamb in the oven, the recipe always calls for rinsing it in hot water.(this will wash off the dirt adhering to the surface layer of fat) and remove the maximum fat from the meat, leaving a thin, even layer of it throughout the piece. This will keep your food from drying out. good decision how to cook a leg of lamb in the oven, will use culinary sleeve or foil. So lamb shank in the oven in foil evenly fried in own juice, while fat will flow from an uncovered piece.
If you want to keep the maximum juices in the dish, do not make punctures for stuffing meat. Through these cuts, the piece will lose more of the delicious juice than required.
The time it takes to cook a leg depends on its weight. You can calculate it like this: for every kilogram of carcass, it takes 40 minutes in the oven and another plus 20 minutes in addition. If you have a cooking thermometer, it's even easier - set it to the thickest part of the piece. The temperature inside at 65 degrees is an indicator of the readiness of the dish.
Rosemary will allow you to improve each recipe for cooking a leg of lamb in the oven. It is this spicy herb pairs perfectly with this meat. Be sure to add it when cooking a piece of lamb in fresh(twigs) or dry.
When the cooking time has passed, do not rush to cut the meat. The piece needs to stand for 20 minutes so that the juices inside it are evenly distributed. So you get a dish of perfect tenderness and high taste.

Recipe with aromatic herbs

This dish can be cooked in a sleeve or on a wire rack. A leg of lamb baked in the oven in a sleeve will turn out to be more juicy (as in the photo). And along with the meat on the grill, you can bake tasty potatoes at the same time.

So, you will need:

lamb leg - weighing 2 kg;
rosemary sprigs - 5 pcs.;
dried juniper berries, Provence herbs, peppercorns;
garlic - 10 cloves;
olive oil;
salt.

Cooking

Grind dry spices into crumbs, mix with finely chopped garlic, rosemary and oil.
Clean the leg of excess fat, rub fragrant mixture, sprinkle with salt.
Wrap in a bag, refrigerate for 4-12 hours.
A few hours before cooking, remove the leg from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature.
Lay on the wire rack, put in the oven, preheated to 230 °. Place a baking sheet below where the fat will drain. Pour it in a little hot water, as well as a glass of white wine, which will give the dish a luxurious aroma.
How long to bake a roll? Bake 10 minutes, turn over. Hold for another 10 minutes and lower the temperature to 180°.
If you plan to serve the dish with potatoes, cut them into thin circles and place them in a baking dish under the wire rack, with a sprig of rosemary. He bakes in lamb fat and it tastes amazing.
After 1.5 hours, remove the leg from the oven, wrap it in foil and leave for 20 minutes. When the meat rests, it can be served at the table.

Recipe with vegetables

For a leg of lamb with vegetables baked in the oven, you can use various combinations of side dishes: eggplant, bell pepper, tomato. We offer simple and tasty option With small potatoes(if young, you can leave him in uniform) and carrots.

You will need:

lamb leg - 2 kg;
garlic - 1 head;
rosemary - needles from 5 branches;
salt - Art. a spoon;
black pepper - 2 teaspoons;
potatoes - 900 g;
carrots - 500 g;
olive oil.

Cooking

Rinse and dry the leg, rub it with pepper and salt. Stuff with garlic and rosemary. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Remove from the cold at least 1 hour before placing in the oven. Put potatoes in a form with tubers, large pieces carrots, brush them with olive oil, salt. Lay a leg of lamb on top.
Preheat the oven to 200 °, bake for 25 minutes. Then you should lower the temperature to 160 °, and simmer the meat for a little over an hour.

During cooking, meat is released delicious juice, which you can use like perfect sauce for vegetable garnish. Cut the leg into thin slices and serve with vegetables.