Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 12:37:33 CDT

Contents

• Roast Leg Of Lamb
• Authentic Greek Lamb
• Bahamian Lamb
• Yucatan leg of lamb
• Lamb 1
• Lamb 2

Roast Leg of Lamb

Leg of lamb (about 6 pounds)
8 clove garlic
juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F.  Cut eight shallow slits in the surface of the 
lamb and insert a clove of garlic in each slit.  Brush the lamb with 
lemon juice, sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper.  Insert a meat 
thermometer into the thickest part of the roast so the bulb reaches 
the center but does not touch a bone.  Place the lamb on a rack in a 
roasting pan and roast for about 20 minutes per pound or until the 
thermomoeter reaches 150F.  Remove from oven, and let the leg stand 
uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Mint sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cider vinegar

Place the mint in a bowl and sprinkle the sugar over it.  Crush mint
and sugar together with the back of a spoon.  Pour in boiling water and 
let mint steep for five minutes.  Add vinegar to mint and water mixture.
Taste the sauce and add more sugar if needed.  Heat before serving.

Place many cloves of garlic under the skin/into the meat all around the
leg.  Sprinkle lots of oregano, pepper, lots of lemon juice, and a bit of
salt on to the meat.  Cover with aluminum foil & bake.  The meat should
still be brown/pink when done (Approx 1.5 hrs).  I like to uncover the last
1/2 hour to get a crust on the leg.

Bake leg plain (no spices), covered w/ aluminum foil, 1 hr till mostly
done.  Take out of oven, cover with  dijon mustard and italian breadcrumbs.
Bake for 1/2 hour more  (until breadcrumbs are browned).  Take out of oven,
slice meat & put back into the juices of the pan.  Serve hot.

1 whole leg of lamb (approx. 6.5 pounds)
1.5 tbsp. cumin seeds
3   tbsp. black peppercorns
3   tbsp. dried orregano leaves
3   tbsp. dried thyme leaves
..5  tsp.  sea salt (I use regular salt)
3-4  dried chipotle chile (essential - these are smoked jalapeno)
3   tbsp. olive oil
8 - 10 prickly pear cactus pads (optional - these are sold as nopales)
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups reserved lamb stock (I use beef stock with equally good
results)

Preheat oven to 325

Trim fell and fat from leg of lamb. (The fell is is what gives lamb 
its strong taste. It is important to remove it as thoroughly as
possible). Remove hip bone with a boning knife (I usually leave this
on, it just makes carving the lamb a little more difficult). Re-form 
the lamb and tie tightly with kitchen string. Make a stock with the
bones and trimmings and set lamb aside, covered with plastic wrap.

In a small iron skillet, saute the cumin seeds, peppercorns, orregano,
and thyme over medium heat to release their flavours. Stir frequently
and remove when they turn brown and start to smoke. Add salt and one
broken chipotle chili, and grind the mixture into a fine powder in a 
clean coffee grinder.

Rub lamb with olive oil and then coat uniformly with generous amounts
of the spice mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting and roast
for 1 hour and 15 minutes - until a meat thermometer registers an
internal temperature of 120 F. Rasie heat to 450 F to brown exterior
for 5 to 10 minutes (the meat thermometer is important to judge the 
doneness of the meat). The internal temperature should rise to 130 F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 min. before carving to allow the
meat juices to be reabsorbed.

While the lamb is roasting, wash the prickly pear cactus pads in cold
water, after removing the thorns with a paring knife, brush with olive
oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over a low charcoal fire 
or under a broiler for about 5 min. per side or until tender.

To make the sauce, pour the fat from the roasting pan and add the 
lamb stock (or beef stock in my case), and remaining broken chipotles.
Reduce over high heat, stirring occasionally, until stock is reduced
by two-thirds. Adjust seasoning. Carve lamb and serve on the platter
with rice, garnish with cactus pads and spoon sauce over meat.

Note: Lamb can marinate overnight in the refrigerator, covered with 
plastic wrap. It is important to let it sit at room temperature for
4 hours before cooking.

Julia Child's method of butterflying the leg is best in my opinion. 
Simply butterfly it and place in a dish or glass roasting pan to marinate 
with lots of garlic, some ginger, rosemary, little soy sauce.  Let sit for 
at least 2 hours.  Broil it or grill it until pink -- about 15 - 20 minutes.  
Let sit for 10 minutes after cooking before slicing.

Make slits in the lamb and insert slivers of garlic and fresh rosemary
Rub the lamb all over with lemon juice and olive oil (I use my hands).

I leave the lamb overnight in my (very cool) kitchen.  You should
probably put it in the fridge.

On Sunday morning, I get up, rush around and realise I am late for
church.  At 10.30 I wrap the lamb loosly in foil and sit it in a
roasting tray.  I put it in the oven, light the oven and set it to
150deg.C.  Then I run out the door.  At about 12.45 I walk back
through the door to the gorgeous smell of cooking lamb.  I unwrap it
and replace it in the over for as long as the potatoes and veg take to
cook.  When the veg are done, the lamb is juicy, falling of the bone
tender and wonderful to eat.  It is not remotely pink, though - pink
lamb is a treat I save for restaurants.

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