Roasting Lamb

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Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method, meaning that you do not add any liquid to the meat as you cook it. Dry heat is best for cuts of meat that are naturally tender.

Here we give you tips on how to roast a perfect lamb:

A perfectly roasted lamb will be crisp on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside.

Choosing the Right Cut

The leg and rack are the most tender cuts or meat on a lamb. Rack of lamb is often served with several individual bones protruding from it; this style of preparation is known as a "Frenched" rack of lamb and is achieved by trimming the fat and meat from between the ribs and scraping the bones clean. Your butcher should be able to do this for you at your request; you can save the meat trimmings to make soup later on.

Seasoning the Meat

Lamb is flavourful enough on its own that it doesn't need much seasoning, but conversely, lamb's flavour is robust enough that it pairs beautifully with any number of boldly flavoured seasonings. Some additions that complement lamb well are rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, mint and garlic.

Before seasoning the lamb, trim some of the excess fat if you like, in addition to any silver skin.

Chop up herbs/seasonings and rub the mixture evenly over the surface of the meat.

Wrap the coated meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight for the best flavour.

Roasted to Perfection

Before roasting your lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. A piece of meat at room temperature will roast more evenly, and using a roasting rack will ensure even browning and heat circulation.

The amount of fat that your piece of lamb has surrounding the outside and marbled through the middle will determine the cooking time and temperature you use:

For a lean piece of meat, cook at 230°C (450° F ) for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 175° C (350° F ) to continue roasting--the meat will take about 25 minutes per pound to reach medium rare.

For a fattier piece of meat, roast at 160° C (325° F) for a longer period of time, allowing the fat to slowly melt and bathe the roast in its own juices. Meat cooked with this method will take about 30 minutes per pound to reach medium rare.

42° C (110° F) is rare

58° C (120° F) is medium-rare

68° C (145° F ) is medium-well

Rest Your Roast

Once your roast is within 5° C (10° F) of its ideal cooked temperature, remove from the oven, place a foil tent loosely over it, and allow the meat to rest for 15-20 minutes. As the meat rests, the internal temperature will increase by several degrees, the muscle fibers will relax, and the juice that has come to the surface of the meat during cooking will begin to return to the center. A well-rested piece of meat will be more tender, and will retain its juices better when you slice it.

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