Roast Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary or 1 Tbsp of dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
• One 6-pound leg of lamb, bone-in or boneless.
• Marinade
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put the lamb in a plastic bag with the marinade. Press out as much air as you can, close the bag tightly, then enclose it in another plastic bag so any leaks stay contained. Refrigerate it for several hours, or leave it overnight.
2. Take the lamb out of the refrigerator while it is still sealed in the marinade bag at least an hour, and preferably two hours, before roasting. This takes the chill off before it goes into the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set up 2 oven racks: use the middle position for the lamb and the lower position for a roasting pan to catch the drippings.
3. With the lamb resting right on the oven rack, heat can circulate around it more efficiently than it would in the usual rack-and-roasting-pan setup, so expect it to cook a bit faster.
4. Take the roast out of the marinade bag. If it makes things easier and tidier, set it briefly in another roasting pan while you work. Blot the surface well with paper towels, then season every side generously with salt and pepper. Position the lamb with the fattiest side facing up, so the fat bastes the meat as it roasts.
5. Set the lamb directly on the middle oven rack. Place a roasting pan on the rack below it to collect the drippings. If you like, add some water to that lower pan so the drippings land in water rather than scorching in the hot pan and filling the kitchen with smoke.
6. Roast the lamb at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and continue roasting for an additional 40 minutes for a 6 pound boneless roast, or up to an hour for a 6 pound bone-in roast. A bone-in roast needs more time because the bone slows the heat as it moves through the meat.
7. As a general guide for rare lamb, plan on 10-13 minutes per pound total, including the first 20 minutes at the higher temperature. That estimate assumes the roast has been out of the refrigerator for an hour or two before cooking; if it goes in cold, it will need more time.
8. Because this rack method behaves a little like convection cooking, both the timing and oven temperature are lower than they would be if the lamb were roasting in a pan. If you choose to cook the lamb in a roasting pan instead, with or without a rack, begin at 450 degrees F, then after 20 minutes turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.
9. The roast’s shape also changes the timing. A long, narrow piece will cook faster, while a thicker one may need more time than the estimate suggests.
10. Use a meat thermometer.
11. About 20 minutes before you think the lamb will be ready, begin checking the internal temperature. Opening the oven repeatedly slows everything down, since it can take about 10 minutes for the oven to regain heat, so check sparingly or use a remote thermometer. Take the lamb out of the oven when it registers anywhere from 125 degrees F to 135 degrees F for medium rare. Do not cook lamb to well done, or it will turn dry.
12. Rest the roast for 25-30 minutes before carving so the juices settle instead of running onto the cutting board. Remove the kitchen string, then use a sharp carving knife to cut 1/2 inch thick slices across the grain.
13. While the lamb rests, loosen the drippings from the roasting pan with a metal spatula. Turn them into gravy, or serve the drippings as they are with the lamb.
14. Serve with some mint chimichurri or homemade mint jelly.