Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipe - Southern Cravings (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to cook leg of lamb with bone or boneless? ›

A boneless leg is easier to carve, while bone-in can be a bit more difficult to slice. If you're looking for a more intense lamb flavor, bone-in is the way to go.

Whether boneless or bone-in, the perfect leg of lamb should be either oven-roasted until blushing pink on the inside (with an internal temp around 130°F) or roasted long and slow for several hours until the meat is very tender and falls apart to internal temp around 175°F (I often use the slow cooker for that).

For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!

Braising: Braising involves searing the lamb leg roast in a hot pan and then cooking it slowly in liquid (such as stock or wine) in a covered dish. The moist heat from the liquid helps keep the roast moist and tender. Roasting with a crutch: Wrap the lamb leg roast in foil or place it in a roasting.

The leg and rack are the most tender cuts of meat on a lamb, and are at their best when roasted. Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method, meaning that you do not add any liquid to the meat as you cook it. Tougher cuts of lamb, such as shank and shoulder, are best for braising and stewing.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

There is no need to rinse raw lamb before cooking because this creates a cross-contamination hazard and is not necessary.

Use an instant read thermometer to be sure that you pull it from the oven at the proper time, 10˚F before it reaches your desired temperature as the cooked meat's internal temperature will rise after you remove it from the oven). Target temperatures: Medium-Rare 145˚F, Medium 160˚F, Well-Done 170˚F.

Place the lamb on the smoker, fat-cap side down. (This will help protect the meat from any direct heat. If cooking in an offset smoker, place the lamb fat-side up.) Insert Signals' probe into the very center of the meat.

The meat will cook just fine without searing. (And any surface bacteria will die during cooking anyway.) But I really believe that the depth and complexity of flavor we gain in this searing step is well-worth the extra effort.

Should lamb be cooked slow or fast? ›

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150C to soften the meat.

Instead of cooking to prepare lamb for service, any cut of boneless lamb can be thinly sliced and tossed in a bowl with a small amount of bicarb soda and corn starch then chilled to tenderize. For our quick cuts 1-2 hours is enough, but our shoulder and leg cuts would need at least 8 hours or overnight.

When meat is sliced with the grain, it often results in tougher, chewier pieces. Follow this tip: The grain of the meat refers to the direction in which the muscle fibers run. Always slice lamb against the grain, cutting across the muscle fibers rather than with them.

Make sure you allow the lamb to reach room temperature. I like to leave mine out for an hour before cooking. It will give you a more even cook.

It all starts with the buying, you should decide whether you're going to get a boneless leg of lamb, or one with the bone kept in. Boneless legs are easier to carve, but a leg of lamb with the bone will have a stronger flavour and will retain the heat well (which will cause it to cook quicker).

To maximise the flavour, cook lamb shoulder on the bone so the meat simply falls apart when pulled with a fork. Recipes using lamb shoulder are fail-safe crowd pleasers – try this slow-cooked shoulder with roasted vegetables for a perfect Sunday lunch or roast in fragrant spices for a more feisty dish.

First, boneless meat will cook faster. There is less muscle and connective tissue to deal with, and the bone isn't slowing down the transfer of heat. This means that you can prepare a meal in less time, which is helpful if you prefer something quick and easy.