INGREDIENTS:
1 (4 to 5-pound) boneless leg of lamb, rolled, tied, and trimmed of excess fat
4 to 6 cloves garlic, cut in half
4 to 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup ruby port wine
Port Sauce (recipe below)
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish
METHOD:
The Day Before:
To prepare the leg of lamb, cut 1-inch slits on all sides of the lamb. Insert garlic halves into the slits and weave rosemary sprigs in the string used to tie the lamb (some butchers may use a mesh-like material). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place lamb into a deep baking pan; pour port wine over lamb. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Day 2:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Remove lamb from the marinade and place it onto a rack in a shallow baking pan.
Place the pan in the lower half of the oven. Bake uncovered for approximately 2 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 120° to 130 °F or until the desired doneness (see the guide below), basting with marinade very 15 minutes while roasting.
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Rare – 120°F
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Medium Rare – 125°F
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Medium – 130°F
Remove lamb from the baking pan and transfer onto a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving. During this time the meat continues to cook (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven). Meanwhile, prepare the port wine sauce.
To serve, transfer sliced lamb onto a serving platter and drizzle Port Sauce over the meat. Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary.
PORT WINE SAUCE
1 cup ruby port wine
1 tablespoon butter
Add wine to drippings in the baking pan and heat over medium-high heat, scraping loose browned bits on the bottom of the baking pan.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until the sauce is reduced to the consistency of heavy cream. If it ireduces too much, use more port wine to make the sauce the desired consistency.
Remove from heat. Just before serving, whisk in butter until blended.
YIELD: 8 to 10 servings.
