Roast Leg of Lamb with Mint Chimichurri & Lamb Gravy

My husband’s Father’s Day request this year was an authentic British Sunday Roast and let me tell you, I went all out. A succulent roast leg of lamb, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, Napa cabbage, Roasties and a truly delightful apple crumble with fresh cream made this a meal to remember.

As a native Texan and thus latecomer to the traditional Sunday dinner, I’ve learned the secret to a successful roast meal is timing. Though you can technically “re-warm” some items by pouring a generous glug of steaming hot gravy, the goal is to get everything out at the same time while it’s hot and fresh. Which is why I love this lamb roast so much! Aside from being absolutely moist and flavorful and delicious, it really doesn’t take much effort and the mint chimichurri just amps this dish up to the level. It cooks for around an hour and a half, and then needs to rest for 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to whip up all of your other sides and accompaniments.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pound boneless leg of lamb
• 5-10 garlic cloves
• Several sprigs of rosemary 
• Olive oil 
• Salt & pepper to taste 

Instructions:

• Take the lamb out of the fridge about 30-45 minutes (but never more than 1 hour) before you want to roast so it can come to room temperature. 
• Preheat the oven to 450 F
• Dry the lamb off with a paper towel and, fat side up, use a small knife to make several tiny incisions into the top of the lamp. 
• Halve (or quarter depending on size) several cloves of garlic and stuff into the tiny slits. Then cut several sprigs of rosemary and stuff into the remaining slits. This will allow the flavors to permeate into the lamb as it cooks. 
• Rub olive oil over all sides of the lamb and generously season with salt and pepper. 
• Place lamb fat side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan and roast at 450 F for 15 minutes. 
• Turn heat down to 375 F and then continue roasting for approximately 15 minutes per pound.
• Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the lamb. For medium rare, you’ll want to get it to 135 F in the oven. Remember the lamb will continue to cook once you take it out and let it rest. 
• Remove lamb from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for around 30 minutes before slicing. 
• *NOTE* Be sure not to throw out any of those lamb juices on the bottom of the pan as they will make the perfect gravy for your roast!
• Serve with Mini Chimichurri and Homemade Lamb Gravy and enjoy! 

Mint ChimiChurri

This recipe is VERY forgiving and you can feel free to adjust the ingredients to your own tastes. While I do like this recipe that contains a little bit of sugar, if you are looking to make your roast Paleo or Whole30- compliant you can simply use our regular chimichurri recipe and replace the cilantro with mint to make it perfectly suited for lamb.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch of mint
• 4 cloves of garlic 
• 1/3^rd cup white vinegar
• 1/3^rd cup olive oil 
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1/4^th cup hot water
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Add garlic to a food processer and pulse several times to chop. 
• Add in parsley and mint and pulse several more times to chop and mix. 
• Add in white vinegar, pulse several times. 
• Add in olive oil, sugar and salt & pepper to taste. Pulse several times to combine but try not to overmix. You want the herbs to be chopped but not completely processes into a paste. 
• Remove from food processor and add in 1/4^th cup boiling water. Mix thoroughly (or shake in a mason jar). Taste to see if it needs any more salt, pepper, or sugar according to your personal preference. 
• Store in the fridge and shake vigorously before using. Will stay good for up to 5 days in the fridge. 
• Enjoy!

Homemade Brown Gravy

Ingredients:

• Lamb drippings
• 2-3 cups of beef broth 
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3 tsp corn starch + 1/4^th cup water 
• Salt & pepper to taste 

Instructions:

• Combine lamb drippings with 2-3 cups of beef broth, and garlic and onion powder in a sauce pan. 
• If desired, use a wire mesh strainer to strain out any of the larger chunks of drippings or burn bits to make your gravy extra smooth. 
• In a small bowl or cup, mix 3 tsp of corn starch with 1/4^th cup of water. 
• Once fully dissolved, add to the gravy mixture and cook on medium-medium/high heat until gravy begins to simmer and thicken. 
• Turn heat down to low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has reduced to your desired consistency. If you prefer a thicker gravy, feel free to add more dissolved cornstarch. 
• Add salt & pepper to taste. But a word of advice… be sure to wait until the gravy has reduced to season it. If you season before that flavor will intensify as the gravy reduces and may end up too salty.
• Serve piping hot and feel free to pour over everything on your plate or drink it straight. You do you!

Modifications:

To make this gravy Paleo and Whole30 compliant you can replace the cornstarch with tapioca or arrowroot flour. Use the same method of dissolving before mixing in. Your gravy will thicken some and taste delicious, it just won’t be as thick as if you use cornstarch or wheat flour.