Chef Bob, a contributor to the blog, passed away two years ago this month. In his memory, we will be sharing some of his recipes this week. RIP to Chef Bob.

Boneless Leg of Lamb

serves 8 – 10

I’m particularly fond of the boneless leg of lamb because it is so easy to cook and carve. To many families, lamb is traditional to serve for Easter Dinner, but it makes a great meal for any occasions including Thanksgiving. When cooked to medium rare, it is flavorful and mild so that anyone who enjoys roast beef will also enjoy this perfect leg of lamb roast.

Lamb is meat from sheep less than one (1) year old. If fresh local lamb is available, you will find no better. In the United States, fresh lamb is in season from March through October. If the phrase “Spring Lamb” is on a meat label, it means the lamb was produced between March and October, but lamb is available all the time. Frozen lamb is available year-round.

Look for lamb with good marbling (white flecks of fat within the meat muscle), and meat that is fine textured and firm. In color, the meat should be pink and the fat should be firm, white, and not too thick. Dark meat indicates an older animal. The USDA quality grades are reliable guides.

1 (5 pound) leg of lamb – boneless

3 cloves of garlic – crushed

2 teaspoons of dry oregano

2 teaspoons of dry thyme

2 teaspoons of dry rosemary

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of lemon juice – fresh squeezed

2 cups of dry red wine

2 teaspoons of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

Combine in a small bowl the garlic, dried oregano, thyme, rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.

Rub the garlic and spice mixture all over the lamb. Put the lamb in a large plastic bag and pour in the olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine. Squeeze out as much of the air as possible from the bag and seal it closed. As a precaution against the bag leaking, wrap a second bag around marinating lamb. Set the bag in a dish and let the lamb marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. (After 20 minutes of cooking the oven temperature will be lowered to 325 degrees) Remove the lamb from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade, it is no longer usable. Combine the 2 teaspoons of salt with the remaining 3/4 teaspoons of freshly ground pepper. Season the lamb with the salt and pepper.

Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes at 450 degrees then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Continue cooking until desired internal temperature is reached.

• Rare 135 F.

• Medium-rare 145 F.

• Medium 160 F.

• Well Done 170 F.

Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serving Suggestion: