12/12 - Roast Leg of Lamb

adapted from giada's roasting temperture

(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/herb-crusted-lamb-recipe/index.html)

ingredients:

• 5.38 lb tied boneless leg of lamb (australian lamb from costco)
• 5 five-inch sprigs of rosemary
• 10 garlic cloves
• 5-6 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion
• 1.5 carrots
• flour
• butter or olive oil
  

assumed method:

1. bash garlic with salt....then add chopped rosemary and bash with oil
2. salt and pepper the roast...rub all over with garlic mixture...place on a rack over a sheet pan
   
3. foil and tent and refrigerate overnight
4. take out of oven 1-1.5 hrs prior to roasting meat
5. chop onion into quarters and carrot into 3 inch pieces and place around the roasting rack on the bottom of pan
6. preheat oven 450
7. roast meat for 20 min uncovered
8. turn down oven to 375 + pour 1/2 cup red wine + 1/2 cup water onto bottom of pan + rotate
   
9. roast another 45-55 minutes til meat is 130-135 for med rare
10. (if gets too dark, turn heat down to 350.)
11. while meat is roasting, make a quick roux
12. pour juices into roux to make a slightly thickened au jus

What i did on 12/12:

steps 1-7 = same...

8. turn down oven to 375 + pour COLD 1.5 cups of short rib braising liquid onto bottom of pan + rotate
9. roast 1 hr 40min more til roast is 130 + take out
10. while meat is roasting, make a quick roux til nutty and light brown...about 10min (3.5 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp oil + about 3 tbsp flour
11. pour juices + red wine into roux to make a slightly thickened au jus
12. too thick so i added some short rib liquid to make thinner

Result:

• uneven cooking of roast
• some parts too rare (mostly underside of meat)
  
• needed more salt
• garlic and rosemary good taste on crust
• medium pieces tasted very good
• pan suace was good...perfect consistency
  

Next time:

• need to rotate roast every 20minutes to get more even cooking
• can try to flip roast midway through to get more even cooking
• need to add HOT liquid (water + wine is best) to pan, not cold liquid
• 130-135 degrees seems best for lamb roast
• can use more salt or even untie roast and salt and pepper, then tie up and roast...