Roast Leg of Lamb with Ancho Sauce
- 8 scallions, finely chopped
- Juice and finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One 8 1/2 pound bone-in leg of lamb, hip bone removed
- 2 medium ancho chiles
- 1 cup boiling hot water
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low sodium broth
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- In a bowl, blend together the scallions, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
- Place the leg of lamb on a work surface, fat side down.
- With a boning knife, make a cut down the length of the leg bone that is just under the surface.
- Cut around the leg bone to make a pocket.
- Make 2 cuts on each side of the leg bone to separate the 2 muscles on each side.
- Spread out the part of the leg where the hip bone was.
- Rub the meat all over, on both sides with the lemon juice and season with salt.
- Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Set the leg fat side down and spread the scallion paste in the leg bone pocket, in between the 2 muscles on each side of the leg bone and all over the boned hip section.
- Fold the boned hip section into a neat bundle and set fat side up.
- Tie the leg, starting at the boned hip section, at 1 inch intervals.
- Place in a roasting pan, fat side up.
- Roast in the upper third of the oven for 40 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 325 and continue to roast for about 2 hours, until an instant read thermometer registers 160 when inserted into the thickest part of the leg.
- Meanwhile, put the anchos in a shallow, heatproof bowl and cover with the hot water.
- Place a small bowl or ramekin on the anchos to keep them submerged.
- Let soak until softened, about 20 minutes.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.
- Discard the stems and seeds and coarsely chop the anchos.
- When the lamb is done, transfer it to a carving board to rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 20 minutes.
- Pour the pan juices into a glass measuring cup and set the roasting pan over 2 burners on high heat.
- Add the chicken stock to the pan and boil, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom, until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 3 minutes.
- Skim the fat from the pan juices and transfer, along with the reduced stock to a small saucepan.
- Put the chopped anchos and reserved soaking liquid in a blender and puree.
- Stir the puree into the small saucepan with the reduced stock and pan juices and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.
- Add the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the strings off the leg of lamb and carve into 1/2 inch thick slices.
- Serve with the ancho sauce.
scallions, lemons, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, lamb, ancho chiles, boiling hot water, chicken stock, soy sauce
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roast-leg-of-lamb-with-ancho-sauce (may not work)