I had not made a leg of lamb in a long time it is a fatty meat, and my now older stomach lets me know when I have had a little too much fat. Mike and Gail were coming over for Xmas dinner wearing mask and all. Lyn and Gail both get tested for COVID at least once a month Mike and I figure if they do not have it then we are safe. So far, all checks have been negative. I have my basic recipe but always check others for any good ideas. I found one that broiled each side about 5 minutes before roasting, like the idea so what the heck I tried.  Not a bad idea, thanks Kitchn your recipe was very close to mine.

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INGREDIENTS

1 (5 to 7 pound) bone-in leg of lamb (whole food had semi boneless)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.

Leaves from 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, coarsely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

1 Lemon sliced (I draped over the lamb while roasting ) also rubbed the lamb with lemon juice after putting slices of garlic in

What you need

Roasting pan with rack

Aluminum foil

Sharp chef’s knife or carving knife, for carving

Instant-read thermometer

How

Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking so it comes closer to room temperature. This promotes faster, more even cooking.

Slice garlic thinly and using a paring knife make slits and insert garlic slices all over the lamb. Mince any left over

Rub the lamb with lemon juice .

Set the lamb in a rack inside a roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and rub all over into the fat and meat. Season generously all over with salt and pepper. Position the lamb so that it is fat-side down.

Broil for 5 minutes. Arrange an oven rack so that the top of the lamb is a few inches from the broiler element. Heat the broiler. Broil until the surface of the lamb looks seared and browned, about 5 minutes.

Flip the lamb over and broil the other side. Flip the leg over and put back under the broiler until the other side is seared, about 5 minutes more.

Take the lamb out of the oven. Top with minced garlic, rosemary, and lemon slices. Turn off the broiler and set the oven temperature to 325°F. Reposition the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Rub the top of the lamb with the garlic and rosemary then top with lemon slices.

Cover the lamb loosely with foil and roast 40-1 hour. (Mine took 45 minutes see below for instant Thermometer temp guides) Tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil to keep the garlic and rosemary from burning.

Uncover and take the temperature. Uncover the lamb. Take its temperature with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part not touching bone. The lamb is ready when the temperature is 135°F or above. At 135°F the lamb is cooked to rare, but it will continue cooking as it rests, so we recommend taking it out of the oven at 135°F for medium-rare to medium. (Refer to the cooking chart above for general roasting times.)

If the lamb is not ready, continue cooking uncovered until it reaches your desired internal temperature, checking the temperature every 20 minutes.

Figure out where to carve. Let the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Transfer the lamb to a clean cutting board. The bone runs through the meat at an angle, giving you two fairly big pieces of meat on either side of the bone. Start with the side of meat that feels most accessible to you.

Cut the meat into slices across the grain. Make straight, parallel cuts straight down through the thickest part of the meat until you hit the bone. You should be cutting perpendicular to the bone, across the grain of the meat. The slices will still be attached where they meet the bone.

Cut the slices off the bone. Turn your knife so that it’s now parallel to the bone instead of perpendicular. Starting at the end of the bone furthest from you, cut through the slices where they attach to the bone. Keep your knife close to the bone as possible. I got to chew the bone after dinner, chef’s treat.

Transfer the slices to a serving platter. Place the slices on a serving platter. Tent the platter with foil to keep the meat warm.

Recommend serving the lamb with mint jelly. I roasted some potatoes, carrots and Daikon radish (*that is another story) and a side salad.

*The other story I used misfits Market and choose a Daikon radish which I had not knowingly had before. It was huge about 1 foot and a half long. I gave half to Mike and Gail.

Gail and I had been working on a Legos project which we usually do when we go to their apartment.