Slow Roast Leg of Lamb is Aussie as Apple Pie is to Americans. Many people consider Roast Lamb as the Australian National Dish, and for good reason. The Aussie lamb is absolutely delicious! A popular Sunday Roast, that you can enjoy any day of the week!
It might be biased, but I find that Australian Lamb has better flavor than many lambs sold from other countries. There is just something tasty about naturally grass fed Australian lamb. I usually get my lamb from Costco. Check out my Instant Pot Greek Lamb recipe for a quick way to make roasted lamb.
What is Sunday Roast?
Sunday Roast is a traditional British meal, served on a Sunday usually after church. Families would place a piece of meat into the oven, add vegetables like potatoes and place in oven before going to church. When they returned from church, lunch was ready to be served. Meats include roast lamb, chicken, pork or beef. A modern day Sunday roast often includes Yorkshire Pudding, stuffing, vegetables and gravy. It's popular in Australia, Ireland, and South Africa as well. Sunday Roasts are often found in restaurants and pubs.
Roast Leg of Lamb Bone In
Cooking meat on the bone will always cook longer than meat on the joint, or boneless. So why do I do it? The taste of course! The meat will taste better as the flavors of the bone get transferred to the meat. But like many things, good things take time! I always start with a decent sized leg of lamb. I always buy a 5½ lb or 2.5kg lamb leg, bone-in, as this feeds about 6 people
How to Slow Roast Leg of Lamb
Unlike a Sunday Roast, I don't cook all my veggies together with my Lamb Leg. I cook the vegetables separately, placing it all together to the pan, already cooked before serving. Cooking vegetables and lamb in the same pan will save time. However, it can make the greener vegetables mushy and they will lose their color and crispness (root veggies will be ok). It looks much nicer, which then tastes nicer too!
To prepare the bone-in lamb leg, make small but deep incisions with a knife all over the lamb leg. Stuff each hole with small pieces of garlic and fresh rosemary. To braise the lamb leg, prepare a roasting pan by adding onions, and whole garlic with the top sliced off. Place the lamb leg on top of the onions, elevating it from the pan, adding broth, red wine and rosemary to the roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast for at least 3½ - 4 hours. Remove foil and allow to cook for another 30 minutes until it browns nicely.
Sealing the roasting pan with foil makes for juicy cooking environment. Slow Roasting Leg of Lamb takes times, and can even got to 5 hours if necessary. Take off the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking, so it browns nicely. Otherwise it looks a bit steamed and not golden brown.
What is Easter Lamb and What Does it Represent?
Easter is a Christian celebration of the death of resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like many religious traditions, they're often celebrated with food and family, especially after Easter Sunday church. Christians believe Jesus is the Lamb of God, who died to save the world from our sins. Easter Lamb is often served for Easter Lunch.
Lamb can also be served at Jewish Passover for some Jewish people. Other Jewish people don't eat lamb out of respect. If you are Catholic, traditionally lamb isn't eaten on Good Friday. A lamb represents sacrifice, innocence and purity. These traditions and symbolisms continue through Easter today.
Is Roast Lamb an Easter Recipe?
Yes and No! Although it's popular at Easter and during Passover, it's also enjoyed every single day for dinner around the world. From Australia to Greece, lamb dinner is a family favourite. It's perfect as a Father's Day meal, a Mother's Day meal, Christmas or for a home cooked Valentines dinner. Jeepers, you could even eat this on the 4th of July! Don't wait for a special occasion or reason to eat roast lamb.
Lamb Gravy From Pan Juices
Don't waste the pan juices and make a delicious lamb gravy. Strain the pan juices, and skim any extra fat away. Heat on a saucepan on medium-high heat. Make a slurry of ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water. Whisk in the slurry and cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Add extra broth to thin the gravy or extra cornstarch slurry to thicken if necessary.
What to make with Roast Lamb Leftovers?
If you happen to have leftover Roast Lamb, you don't need to eat it the same way. I try to thinly slice the lamb to make sandwiches for lunch the next day. You can also finely chop up the lamb to make a Shepherds Pie. Alternatively, chop the meat up and use it to make an Australian Meat Pie. I also shred the lamb and place it inside a pita bread to make a kebab, drizzling it with a Yogurt Garlic Sauce, so tasty!
Delicious Roast Vegetable Recipes
- Honey Soy Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Broccoli with Soy and Garlic
- Crispy Moroccan Roasted Potatoes
- Garlic Roasted Asparagus
- Grilled Zucchini
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
You will love this Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb recipe. It's not hard to make lamb, you just need some patience to wait for it to slow roast in the oven. This ensures it's tender and fall apart ready. If you're in a cooking hurry, check out my Instant Pot Greek Lamb Roast, which is much faster and can be even made after work for a weeknight dinner. Whatever recipe you choose, you can't go wrong with lamb! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Ingredients
- 5½ lbs /2.5kg lamb leg at room temperature
- 4 heads of garlic with tops sliced off
- fresh rosemary
- 2 onions quartered
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2½ cups beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F fan forced oven
- Place onions, 3 garlic heads and fresh rosemary in a roasting pan. Place the lamb leg on top of the onions. Season with salt and pepper by rubbing it into the lamb.
- Make small but deep incisions in the lamb leg and stuff with small pieces of garlic and rosemary.
- Pour the broth and wine into the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and roast for at least 3½ - 4 hours. Remove foil and allow to cook for another 30 minutes until it browns nicely. Transfer to serving platter and serve with vegetables.
- To make gravy from pan juices.
How to make Pan Gravy
- Strain the pan juices, and skim any extra fat away. Heat on a saucepan on medium-high heat. Make a slurry of ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water. Whisk in the slurry and cook for a few minutes until it thickens. Add extra broth to thin the gravy or extra cornstarch slurry to thicken if necessary. Serve with your roast lamb.
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