How To Cook Lamb Leg To Perfection | New Zealand Spring Lamb (2024)

FAQs

How long do you cook a leg of lamb NZ? ›

Place the meat into the oven and roast at 160°C (180°C fan-forced), allowing 30 minutes per 500g. To test if the meat is cooked, use a skewer to pierce the leg at the thickest part, going through to the bone. If the juices are clear, the lamb is cooked.

Whether boneless or bone-in, the perfect leg of lamb should be either oven-roasted until blushing pink on the inside (with an internal temp around 130°F) or roasted long and slow for several hours until the meat is very tender and falls apart to internal temp around 175°F (I often use the slow cooker for that).

New Zealand Spring Lamb's short cut lamb leg is one of the larger, more flavourful cuts of lamb. This cut is known for being lean and flavourful. Perfect for roasting, or grilling.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

Immediately putting this large cut of meat in the oven after removing it from the fridge can lead to uneven cooking and an even longer cooking time. To ensure a leg of lamb cooks evenly, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking.

Lamb leg is lean, so to slow cook it's best to partially submerge in a flavoured liquid which keeps the flesh moist plus infuses with flavour. I'm using garlic and rosemary in this recipe – classic lamb flavours!

For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!

The level of doneness for lamb largely comes down to personal preference. Pull it out of the oven too soon and it may be too undercooked and unappetizing for your taste. When cooked for too long, this tender cut can be quick to dry out. A deeply browned crust won't cut it for figuring out whether your lamb is finished.

Fresh rosemary, fresh garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt are simple but amazing flavors that pair amazingly with the lamb! Each of these ingredients adds its unique warmth and depth to enhance the flavor of the dish.

Washing beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination. Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe.

Is New Zealand Spring lamb good? ›

For more than fifty years, we've proudly introduced discerning eaters to the unmatched quality of our Grass Fed New Zealand Spring Lamb^®. Our lamb isn't just good; it's considered amongst the best you can get in the world, allowing us to be one top sellers of New Zealand Spring Lamb^® in North America.

Grown naturally in the outdoors, New Zealand lamb has lower production costs. With no need for additional food, a greatly reduced chance of disease, and short distances to local processing plants, costs are kept down for Kiwi farmers.

In New Zealand, as in Australia and many other countries, only animals under 12 months old and without incisors can be labeled lamb. New Zealand sheep are grass-fed throughout their lives, producing a more pronounced flavor. Typically humanely-raised and free-range sheep, they also tend to be leaner.

The question often comes up, should you cook a boneless or bone-in leg of lamb? In truth, there are advantages to both sides. A boneless leg is faster cooking (there's just less mass to heat), and, in many areas, easier to find. It also provides for hassle-free carving, which is nice.

Roast it in a rack in a 275°F (135°C) oven until it hits 125° to 130°F (52 to 54°C) for medium rare, about three and a half hours. Remove from the oven and rest for 30 minutes while you increase the oven temperature to 500°F (260°C). Return it to the oven for 15 minutes to brown. Remove the twine, carve, and serve.

Safest Temperature and Doneness To Eat Lamb. In our experience, we found most lamb cuts, whether a rack of lamb or lamb loin chops, taste best when served medium rare. So, the meat's internal temperature should reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius).

Lamb loin roast is best prepared using dry heat cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, or broiling. Cook lamb loin with care, as it can dry out easily if overcooked. Other cooking methods for lamb loin roast include brushing the loin with oil and sprinkling it with salt and pepper before grilling or broiling.