Roast Leg of Lamb with Red Chile Crust and Jalapeño Preserves
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 12, 2011
Time
3½ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 12-16
Ingredients
1 whole leg of lamb (about 7 pounds), boned and butterflied
Red Chile Marinade
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and halved1 pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded, and halved1 small chipotle chile, pureed with a bit of adobo to yield 1 tablespoon1 tablespoon toasted cumin seed, ground2 tablespoon olive oilCilantro Pesto
2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, leaves only2 large cloves garlic 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 large limeSalt and ground black pepper 5 tablespoons olive oilJalapeño Preserves
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar 6 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar ¼ cup fruit pectinBefore You Begin
To toast the cumin seeds for the marinade, heat a small skillet, add the cumin seeds, and toast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan constantly, until seeds are fragrant, about 15 seconds. Grind in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Do not more than triple the Jalapeño Preserve recipe.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Set ancho and pasilla chile pieces in a small pan; place pan in oven until chile pieces develop a sheen, no more than 30 seconds. Cut chiles into pieces small enough to grind in a mini-chopper or coffee grinder. Grind chiles to a powder. Mix with next 3 ingredients to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Place first 4 ingredients, plus 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade; process until cilantro is minced. With machine on, slowly add the olive oil so that pesto emulsifies. Transfer to a small container; cover and refrigerate.
- Bring first 4 ingredients to boil in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Adjust heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes, for a total of 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in pectin. Return saucepan to heat and bring mixture to boil. Let preserves cool to room temperature; they will be on the thin side. Transfer to a non reactive container and refrigerate. (Refrigerated preserves will last at least 3 months; if canned, preserves can be stored indefinitely.)
- Lay the butterflied leg of lamb, cut side up, so that its short end faces you; trim off excess meat, particularly the shank piece, so that leg forms a rough rectangle. (Meat scraps can be placed on thinner sections of the butterflied leg for more uniform height.) Pound particularly thick leg muscles to facilitate rolling. Spread about 2/3 of the Cilantro Pesto in a thin layer over leg, leaving at least a 1-inch border around the perimeter. (If spread too close to the edge, pesto will ooze out when leg is tied.) Reserve remaining pesto for serving. Starting with the short side closest to you, roll leg into a tight cylinder. Following the illustrations below, tie roast to secure. Place lamb leg on a roasting pan; rub roast on all sides with the chile marinade. (Can cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours.)
- Bring lamb roast to room temperature. Adjust rack to low position and heat oven to 450 degrees; roast lamb for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers no more than 120 to 125 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. Let roast rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Cut lamb into slices 1/2-inch thick . Drizzle with remaining pesto and serve with Jalapeno Preserves passed separately.
for the marinade
for the pesto
for the preserves
Time
3½ hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 12-16Ingredients
1 whole leg of lamb (about 7 pounds), boned and butterflied
Red Chile Marinade
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 small chipotle chile, pureed with a bit of adobo to yield 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seed, ground
2 tablespoon olive oil
Cilantro Pesto
2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, leaves only
2 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 large lime
Salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
Jalapeño Preserves
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
6 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup fruit pectin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 whole leg of lamb (about 7 pounds), boned and butterflied
Red Chile Marinade
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 small chipotle chile, pureed with a bit of adobo to yield 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seed, ground
2 tablespoon olive oil
Cilantro Pesto
2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, leaves only
2 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 large lime
Salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
Jalapeño Preserves
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
6 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup fruit pectin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 whole leg of lamb (about 7 pounds), boned and butterflied
Red Chile Marinade
2 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 pasilla chile, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 small chipotle chile, pureed with a bit of adobo to yield 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon toasted cumin seed, ground
2 tablespoon olive oil
Cilantro Pesto
2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves, leaves only
2 large cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons lime juice from 1 large lime
Salt and ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
Jalapeño Preserves
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
6 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup fruit pectin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a straightforward and supremely flavored roast leg of lamb recipe, we followed traditional French techniques for dealing with lamb. The boning can be done by a butcher, the cilantro pesto is as straightforward as basil pesto, and the jalapeño preserves are similar to mint preserves. The tying technique for our roast leg of lamb recipe is as easy as tying your shoes; just follow the illustrations. And making chili powder at home takes less than 10 minutes.
Before You Begin
To toast the cumin seeds for the marinade, heat a small skillet, add the cumin seeds, and toast over medium-high heat, shaking the pan constantly, until seeds are fragrant, about 15 seconds. Grind in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Do not more than triple the Jalapeño Preserve recipe.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Set ancho and pasilla chile pieces in a small pan; place pan in oven until chile pieces develop a sheen, no more than 30 seconds. Cut chiles into pieces small enough to grind in a mini-chopper or coffee grinder. Grind chiles to a powder. Mix with next 3 ingredients to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Place first 4 ingredients, plus 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade; process until cilantro is minced. With machine on, slowly add the olive oil so that pesto emulsifies. Transfer to a small container; cover and refrigerate.
- Bring first 4 ingredients to boil in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Adjust heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes, for a total of 20 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in pectin. Return saucepan to heat and bring mixture to boil. Let preserves cool to room temperature; they will be on the thin side. Transfer to a non reactive container and refrigerate. (Refrigerated preserves will last at least 3 months; if canned, preserves can be stored indefinitely.)
- Lay the butterflied leg of lamb, cut side up, so that its short end faces you; trim off excess meat, particularly the shank piece, so that leg forms a rough rectangle. (Meat scraps can be placed on thinner sections of the butterflied leg for more uniform height.) Pound particularly thick leg muscles to facilitate rolling. Spread about 2/3 of the Cilantro Pesto in a thin layer over leg, leaving at least a 1-inch border around the perimeter. (If spread too close to the edge, pesto will ooze out when leg is tied.) Reserve remaining pesto for serving. Starting with the short side closest to you, roll leg into a tight cylinder. Following the illustrations below, tie roast to secure. Place lamb leg on a roasting pan; rub roast on all sides with the chile marinade. (Can cover and refrigerate up to 48 hours.)
- Bring lamb roast to room temperature. Adjust rack to low position and heat oven to 450 degrees; roast lamb for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers no more than 120 to 125 degrees, about 1 1/2 hours. Let roast rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Cut lamb into slices 1/2-inch thick . Drizzle with remaining pesto and serve with Jalapeno Preserves passed separately.
for the marinade
for the pesto
for the preserves
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