Rosemary Garlic Leg of Lamb

Alright, alright. So, this is the worst possible time to post this recipe.
It's hot. It's humid. And the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven to roast a leg of lamb.

I understand. But, I can assure you that you'll want to bookmark it for another occasion -- or pin it to your Pinterest page. Because it's easy. And delicious. And the leftovers will give you fodder for some of the best lamb pitas you've ever eaten in your life.

Meet the garlic and rosemary infused leg of lamb -- one of the simplest and best recipes I've created in a long while.

Best of all, you probably don't need to measure anything.

I used a relatively small leg section for this recipe. It weighed about three pounds, which means that, at 20 minutes per pound, it took just over an hour to cook (I shot for an internal temperature of about 135, which is medium rare; you can go slightly higher if you want, but I'd encourage you not to overcook it).

The size of the leg isn't all that important here. But, the shape of the leg is.  You want a piece of leg that is approximately the same thickness all over -- which means it will cook evenly.

Equally as important is the rub, which you want to apply to the lamb the day before you roast it.

For my leg, I used about six garlic cloves, about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, a teaspoon or so of salt, lots of freshly ground pepper, a splash of red wine vinegar, and an equivalent splash of olive oil.  You'll mix it altogether into a loose paste, and then rub it all over the lamb.  Be sure you poke a few holes in the fat and get the rub into all the nooks and crannies... you'll thank me later.

After the leg marinates overnight, you'll want to heat up some butter over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. When it melts and the foam subsides, you'll want to brown the lamb shank on all sides. While it's browning, you can preheat your oven to 350F.

When the lamb is browned, pop it right into the oven and leave it for around an hour, probing it with a thermometer to check its internal temperature for doneness.  Then, before carving, let it rest for 10-15 minutes. It will be the longest 10-15 minutes of your life... but I assure you, it's worth it.

Serve up with a nice saute of summer zucchini, onions, and cherry tomatoes sprinkled with fresh oregano and mint.

Makes you smile just thinking about it, doesn't it?
And for a moment, I'll bet you forgot all about the heat wave... at least we hope so!

©BURP!