Roast leg of lamb and a graduation

There has been a lot of excitement around here these past few days. For one thing, the mother hen came to town. Our ventures on the road to Portland and through the Olympic Peninsula were filled with relaxation, sun, and many random stops. This might be the only road trip I have experienced where we saw oysters, peacocks, cows, and a bald eagle in the same day!

Mom was in town for my graduation - yes, that’s right. You are officially reading the work of a master (of public health, that is). While the ceremonies themselves were a little bit anti-climactic, it was wonderful to see all of my SPH friends together, many of whom have been working or have left town in the past few months. (Special shout out to Amy, who we got to see for the first time since she moved back to San Francisco!)

Mom’s departure was bittersweet, as it was hard to say goodbye now, but it’s also comforting to know that soon I will be living much closer to her and her infinite wisdom. More on that later.

The rest of the weekend was filled with an urban scavenger hunt (our team name was “The Never Nudes” and we wore cutoff jean shorts. If you get the reference, I love you) and a potluck with friends.

The potluck was not just any potluck - it was motivated by my “26 things to do while you’re 26” list, which included the item “Cook red meat”.  For our self-determined night of “firsts”, Sharonne decided to make pies for the first time, and Angela and I partnered up on the lamb (Darrin, also, with his intense Costco representation). I had no idea what I was in for with lamb, but it was an adventure to attempt cooking for the first time! While it was quite yummy and I would absolutely make it again, I can see a few areas for improvement on the next go round.

Thoughts for next time:

1. Trim the fat more lovingly. I am not a butcher, but man did I kill that leg of lamb in this process.

2. Be more vigilant about baking time and internal temperature. The meat wasn’t too dry, but it could have been more rare and more tender if I had been on top of my game.

3. Decrease salt. None of us need that much iodine

Love the mother!

Graduation ceremony numero uno

Mr. Lamb Leg, mid-roast

Cut of lamb leg. Still need to work on this photography thing!

Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb

Recipe from Food Network

Ingredients
1 leg of lamb, bone in (about 6 to 7 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Sauce:
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (combination of rosemary, chives, and parsley)
2 cups diced onions
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Using your hands, rub the lamb all over with the lemon juice. Pat the garlic and rosemary evenly all over the surface of the meat. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and place the lamb in a roasting pan. Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to cook for about 1 hour longer for medium-rare, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers about 145 degrees F to 150 degrees F (be careful that the thermometer does not touch the bone.) Remove lamb from pan and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Position the roasting pan over your stove burners. Add mixed herbs and onions to pan, and stir to combine with pan drippings. Add chicken stock and wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Reduce over high heat until sauce consistency. Strain before serving, if desired. Slice lamb and serve with sauce drizzled over the top.