Lamb leg in the oven - royal dish

Nothing so symbolizes a good housewife, as a variety of dishes on the festive table. But no matter how rich the assortment of delicacies is, the real gastronomic king remains meat. And for a long time it is noticed: the appetite of the invited to the table is directly proportional to the size of the baked piece of meat. That is why the leg of lamb, demonstratively located on a platter, delays the gourmet sights. But the appearance of baked meat may not correspond to its taste. So how to bake lamb, so that those present will appreciate the culinary skills of the hostess?

Choosing meat

For cooking in the oven you need a leg of lamb weighing no more than 2.5 kg. The fact is that this weight is indicative of the insignificant age of the poor lamb. When choosing meat, avoid having a lot of tendons and fat.

Despite the fact that the young mutton is juicy, the meat should be marinated in advance. If you need a leg of lamb in a clean loin fillet, carefully separate the bone. However, the presence of bone helps maintain the natural shape of the legs during cooking, and improves the taste of meat.

To make a leg of mutton has acquired a unique aroma, we will prepare a special mixture of spices. To do this, you need to crush coriander, thyme, pepper (black and spicy) and a little rosemary in the stupa. After wiping this mixture, cover the meat with a food film and place it in the refrigerator until the morning. After standing all night in the fridge, the meat acquires an unusual juiciness, except that it exudes an appetizing appetite, an aroma.

Next, proceed to the second stage of preparing a royal dish. We cut into small cubes smoked bacon. Peeled garlic cloves are halved. We proceed to the most significant procedure: we lard lamb with garlic and lard. It is their taste combination that gives a piquant taste to this dish. With the tip of a wide knife we make deep cuts, where we alternately stick garlic and blocks of smoked bacon. The lactated leg of lamb can be sent to a preheated oven.

Depending on the preferences of the hostess, mutton can be cooked in foil or on an open baking sheet. The first way will allow to get more juicy meat without crust. In addition, this option more meets the requirements of healthy food. Lamb is placed on a sheet laid out with foil sheets. The edges are joined in such a way that the foil rises above the meat by about 5-8 cm. In a preheated oven to 200-220 degrees, the leg is baked for 1.5-2 hours.

On an open baking sheet, the meat is covered with a delicious ruddy crust, but turns out to be less juicy. However, the taste is not inferior to mutton, baked in foil. To ensure that the meat does not lose its juiciness during cooking, it should be periodically poured into the baking tray with fat and juice.

To serve the table with a masterpiece of cooking is best with fresh vegetables and boiled potatoes. By the way, the potatoes to lamb can also be prepared in an original way. To do this, cut the large potatoes into two parts, each of which we place a toothpick or skewer with a slice of smoked bacon. Ready potatoes are placed in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes. Potatoes get incredible taste and serve as an excellent addition to meat.