From: fixer@faxcsl.dcrt.nih.gov (Chris My Sainted Aunt Tate)
Subject: Re: REQUEST: LEG OF LAMB RECIPE
Apparently-To: rec-food-recipes@uunet.uu.net
Reply-To: fixer@faxcsl.dcrt.nih.gov
Organization: Computer Systems Laboratory, DCRT, NIH
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:44:47 GMT

Although not the particular recipe requested by the original poster, this is
an excellent recipe for roast leg of lamb.  The marinade can be adjusted to
taste; it's very flexible.

Butterflied Leg of Lamb
-----------------------

Marinade:
   3-4 Tbsp olive oil
   2 Tbsp regular or low-salt soy sauce
   1 crushed garlic clove
   1 Tbsp crushed rosemary
   1 tsp lemon juice, optional

Trim the lamb as thoroughly as possible, then butterfly it.  This is not a
particularly easy process, but it lets you roast the lamb in 1/3 the time of
doing it "as is".

To butterfly the leg of lamb, you'll slit down to the bone where it lies
closest to the surface, and then cut it out carefully.  Use a sharp knife! 
You'll also need to get out the kneecap, which is not hard, but a pain.  When
you're done, you'll have exposed a thick vein of fat that was next to the bone;
trim this out as well.

When you're done, you'll have a mess.  :-)  Essentially, you've "unwrapped" the
meat from around the bone, so that it can lie flat on a roasting pan.  If there
are any particularly thick parts that won't lie flat, slit them (in the
direction that the bone used to run) so they will.

You may wish to cut off the portion of meat closest to the shank (the narrow
end), because the white tendons there can make that meat tough.  Use it for
stock, or remove the tendons and use the rest for shish kabob... use your
imagination.  Don't waste it; it's *lamb*!  :-)

Now, mix up the marinade, put the lamb into a plastic bag (Ziploc or similar
self-sealing bags work extremely well) and pour the marinade over it.  Work it
through the bag with your fingers to coat the lamb, seal the bag, and put it
into the refrigerator.  Marinade it for at least an hour; overnight is better.

To cook - this is the method that Julia Child calls "broil-roasting;" it
produces very good results in a surprisingly short time.  Arrange the lamb on a
roasting pan, butterflied out so that it lies flat, with the "skin" side (i.e.
the outside, not the meaty part that lay against the bone) up.  Put it under
the broiler for 5 minutes.  Yes, you read that right - just a couple of
minutes.  This is to seal the surface.

Now, move the lamb to a preheated 375 Farenheit (190 Centigrade) oven and roast
for about 20 minutes, depending on how thick it is and your desired degree of
doneness.

When it's done, take it out and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes
before carving, in order to let the meat reabsorb the juices.  Butterflied lamb
is a breeze to carve, but less tidy-looking than a straight roasted leg.


In this country, people seem to have this notion that lamb has to be prepared
with mint; personally I find the olive oil/soy sauce/rosemary blend to be *far*
superior.

Good luck (and don't worry about making a mess of the leg when trying to
butterfly it - I do, too!) !

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Christopher Tate             | Return of the CryptoSig (tm):
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fixer@faxcsl.dcrt.nih.gov    |    TDIUVALMH.

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