Roasted Leg of Lamb With Red Wine Sauce

Prep Time:

45 mins

Cook Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

12

This roasted leg of lamb is flavored with mustard, rosemary, and garlic and served with a savory red-wine pan sauce that you can make while the meat rests. You'll need bone-in leg of lamb for this recipe, which makes for a stunning presentation. While some home cooks find roasting a leg of lamb challenging, we have tips to make the process as easy and approachable as possible. You can even do most of the work the day ahead, leaving just the roasting step for the day you plan to serve the meat. The result is a juicy, full-flavored roast that makes a gorgeous and impressive centerpiece at the holiday table or for a special-occasion supper.

How to Buy a Leg of Lamb for This Recipe

You'll need a bone-in leg of lamb for this recipe, which you'll likely need to special order it from your butcher shop or the meat counter at the grocery store. (You may find boneless leg of lamb available at the store, which is sold boned, rolled, and tied up in a net—it's a great cut of meat but not ideal for this recipe.) When speaking to your butcher, request to have the aitchbone (pronounced "H-bone") removed, which will make carving easier, and ask if they can trim off the fell, which is a thin layer of fat that covers the meat and is tough. It can also be worth seeing if they're able to trim about 1 1/2 inches of flesh from the shank bone, which will make for a picture-perfect presentation. (If they aren't able to, it's easy enough to do with a paring knife at home.)

See this helpful step-by-step guide (with photos!) which will walk you through the process of preparing the lamb for roasting.

How to Prep a Leg of Lamb Ahead

To get some of the work out of the way the day before you plan to cook, you can trim the leg, make the slashes, and rub the meat with the mustard-garlic mixture; wrap it well in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Before cooking, let the leg sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before proceeding with the recipe.

Directions

Trim flesh from shank bone; remove fell:

For the cleanest-looking presentation, trim 1 1/2 inches of flesh from the shank bone with a sharp paring knife. (Your butcher may be willing to do this for you.)

The fell is a thin outer layer of fat that you may find if you buy an untrimmed leg from a butcher. It's very tough, so it's important to remove all of it. A long knife with a sharp thin blade is the best tool for the job.
Trim excess fat, then cut slashes into meat:

Trim the excess fat that lies beneath the fell, but leave enough to enrich the meat and gravy. Use shears to trim the fat pads around the hip, or large end. Make incisions 1 inch long and 1/2 inch deep all over the leg; they'll allow the aromatic rub to penetrate the meat more easily.

Leaving some fat behind on the leg ensures the exterior will crisp up nicely when broiled, which helps give the carved slices great texture. Besides ensuring more flavorful meat, cutting slashes into the meat helps to rough up the surface which leads to a crisper, more flavorful crust after broiling.
Make rub and spread over leg; preheat oven:

Stir together salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, mustard, and oil in a small bowl until it forms a wet paste. Spread rub evenly over lamb, working it into the incisions. Let lamb sit at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F.
Roast lamb; reduce heat and continue to roast:

Transfer lamb, fat side up, to a large roasting pan fitted with a rack, and add broth. Roast lamb 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325°F, and roast until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of flesh near the bone reaches 130° to 135° (medium-rare), about 55 minutes.
Broil leg until brown and crisp; transfer to platter:

Increase temperature to broil; broil until surface sizzles and becomes brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer lamb to a platter or carving board; let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.
Make gravy:

While lamb is resting, remove rack from roasting pan and place pan across 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add wine to the drippings in the pan, bring to a simmer, and reduce by half, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups broth and return to a simmer. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup broth and flour in a small bowl, then whisk into wine mixture.
Simmer until thickened; strain and serve with lamb:

Simmer until thickened slightly, less than 1 minute. Add any accumulated juices from platter or carving board and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Ladle into a gravy boat and serve with lamb.

How to Store and Use Up Leftover Roast Lamb

If you're lucky enough to have lamb leftover, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or freeze it for up to three months.

To use up leftovers, slice lamb thinly and serve in pitas with lettuce, tomato, and tzatziki. Chop it into small pieces, crisp it up with a bit of oil and onion, and serve as a taco or burrito filling. Or, shred it and simmer in tomato sauce with carrots, celery, onions, and herbs for a quick ragu to serve over pasta.