Cast Iron Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rhubarb Sauce
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
2½ hours, plus 4 hours salting
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Some boneless legs of lamb come wrapped in netting; ask your butcher to make sure it’s a single piece and not a mix of multiple chunks. We prefer using a temperature probe here to avoid opening the oven. If using an instant-read thermometer, check the lamb in multiple places to ensure that you’ve reached the target temperature of 120 to 125 degrees in step 6; this allows carryover cooking to achieve the optimal doneness. If the rhubarb stalks are thicker than 1 inch, cut them in half lengthwise before cutting them into ¾-inch pieces.
Instructions
- Combine cardamom pods, allspice berries, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in 12-inch skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Process toasted spices in spice grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; return to now-empty bowl and stir in ginger. Measure out 1 teaspoon spice mixture and reserve for rhubarb. Add salt to remaining spice mixture and stir to combine.
- Place lamb fat side up on cutting board and trim sinew. Trim fat to ¼-inch thickness. Using sharp knife, cut ½-inch crosshatch pattern in remaining fat layer, being careful not to cut into meat. Flip lamb fat side down and butterfly thicker parts to make leg approximately same thickness throughout. Cut five ½-inch-deep slashes in exposed surface of lamb.
- Sprinkle lamb evenly on both sides with salt-spice mixture. Place lamb fat side down on board. Starting from short side, roll lamb tightly into even cylinder. Tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals; wrap tightly in plastic wrap, transfer to plate, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat clean 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add oil and swirl to coat, then place lamb in skillet. Cook lamb, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, 12 to 16 minutes.
- Position lamb seam side down in skillet. Off heat, carefully add water to skillet and sprinkle shallots around lamb. Insert temperature probe into center of lamb. Roast until lamb reaches 120 to 125 degrees, 1 to 1¼ hours. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, strain braising liquid into fat separator; reserve solids. Allow braising liquid to settle for 5 minutes, then pour off and discard fat. Add rhubarb, wine, sugar, raisins, reserved 1 teaspoon spice mixture, reserved solids, and ¾ cup defatted braising liquid to now-empty skillet and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender and sauce is thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Off heat, keep sauce warm in skillet while slicing lamb, about 5 minutes. (If not serving immediately, transfer sauce to bowl and reheat as needed.)
- Remove twine and slice lamb thin. Serve lamb with rhubarb sauce, sprinkled with mint.
Time
2½ hours, plus 4 hours saltingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We paired leg of lamb with rhubarb for a spring-y special-occasion roast. We achieved great results by searing the lamb in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop before transferring it to the oven to roast for about an hour. Using a boneless leg of lamb meant we could season the roast lamb inside and out, and it cooked faster than a bone-in cut. We rubbed an intensely flavorful blend of toasted warm spices and salt over the lamb before rolling and tying it into a uniform roast. We refrigerated it, which gave the salt mixture time to penetrate the meat and help keep it juicy. After giving the meat a quick sear on the stovetop, we deglazed the pan with water, added chopped shallots, and popped the whole thing into the oven. Adding water to the skillet during roasting kept the drippings from burning and also created a flavorful jus in the pan. While the meat rested, we combined the resulting jus with rhubarb, red wine, sugar, extra spices, and strained solids to create a tart sauce to cut the richness of the roasted lamb.
Before You Begin
Some boneless legs of lamb come wrapped in netting; ask your butcher to make sure it’s a single piece and not a mix of multiple chunks. We prefer using a temperature probe here to avoid opening the oven. If using an instant-read thermometer, check the lamb in multiple places to ensure that you’ve reached the target temperature of 120 to 125 degrees in step 6; this allows carryover cooking to achieve the optimal doneness. If the rhubarb stalks are thicker than 1 inch, cut them in half lengthwise before cutting them into ¾-inch pieces.
Instructions
- Combine cardamom pods, allspice berries, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns in 12-inch skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Process toasted spices in spice grinder until finely ground, about 30 seconds; return to now-empty bowl and stir in ginger. Measure out 1 teaspoon spice mixture and reserve for rhubarb. Add salt to remaining spice mixture and stir to combine.
- Place lamb fat side up on cutting board and trim sinew. Trim fat to ¼-inch thickness. Using sharp knife, cut ½-inch crosshatch pattern in remaining fat layer, being careful not to cut into meat. Flip lamb fat side down and butterfly thicker parts to make leg approximately same thickness throughout. Cut five ½-inch-deep slashes in exposed surface of lamb.
- Sprinkle lamb evenly on both sides with salt-spice mixture. Place lamb fat side down on board. Starting from short side, roll lamb tightly into even cylinder. Tie with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals; wrap tightly in plastic wrap, transfer to plate, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat clean 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add oil and swirl to coat, then place lamb in skillet. Cook lamb, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, 12 to 16 minutes.
- Position lamb seam side down in skillet. Off heat, carefully add water to skillet and sprinkle shallots around lamb. Insert temperature probe into center of lamb. Roast until lamb reaches 120 to 125 degrees, 1 to 1¼ hours. Transfer roast to carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, strain braising liquid into fat separator; reserve solids. Allow braising liquid to settle for 5 minutes, then pour off and discard fat. Add rhubarb, wine, sugar, raisins, reserved 1 teaspoon spice mixture, reserved solids, and ¾ cup defatted braising liquid to now-empty skillet and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender and sauce is thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Off heat, keep sauce warm in skillet while slicing lamb, about 5 minutes. (If not serving immediately, transfer sauce to bowl and reheat as needed.)
- Remove twine and slice lamb thin. Serve lamb with rhubarb sauce, sprinkled with mint.
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