Roasted Leg of Lamb with Meyer Lemon
A whole leg of lamb in a 200°C oven for an hour and a half produces something that doesn't need much explaining — deeply browned crust, interior somewhere between rose and pink, pan juices worth mopping up with bread. What Meyer lemon does here that regular lemon can't quite pull off is this: the floral quality in the zest sits in the herb paste and works on the lamb for hours, going slightly sweet as it roasts, adding a brightness that cuts the richness without turning acidic. If you can't find Meyer lemon, use half regular lemon zest and half mandarin — the point is less tartness, more perfume. The paste goes inside the rolled roast and outside. Inside matters more. That's where the flavor lives between slices.
Ingredients
- 2 kgboneless leg of lamb
- 2 Meyer lemons
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3 tbspfresh rosemary
- 2 tbspfresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbspDijon mustard
- 4 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1.5 tspcoarse salt
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 240 mldry white wine
- 1 Meyer lemon
Method
- Make the herb paste and marinate. Mix lemon zest, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, parsley, Dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper into a coarse paste. It shouldn't be smooth — you want texture so the herbs don't just slide off. Take the butterflied lamb and open it flat on a board. Spread two-thirds of the paste all over the interior surface. Roll the lamb up firmly, tuck in any loose ends, and tie at 4 cm intervals with kitchen twine. Rub the remaining paste over the outside. If you have time, wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight. If not, 2 hours at room temperature still makes a real difference. Either way, bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before it goes in the oven.
- Sear the outside at high heat. Preheat your oven to 220°C (425°F). Set the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan, seam-side down. Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan — it keeps the drippings from burning and gives you something to work with for pan sauce later. Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes. At this point the outside should be brown, the herbs slightly charred at the tips, the fat beginning to render and sizzle audibly. This is what you want.
- Finish at lower heat. Reduce the oven to 180°C (350°F) and continue roasting. A 2 kg boneless leg needs roughly 60 to 75 more minutes for medium-rare (57°C internal) or 80 to 90 minutes for medium (63°C). Check the temperature in the thickest part of the meat, not near the twine. About 20 minutes before the end, lay the Meyer lemon rounds over the top of the roast — they caramelize slightly and the oils in the peel baste the meat with a last round of citrus.
- Rest — this part is not optional. When the thermometer reads 5°C below your target, pull the lamb. Cover loosely with foil and rest it for 20 minutes minimum, 30 if you can wait. The internal temperature will climb the rest of the way on its own. Skipping the rest means the first cut releases all the accumulated juice onto the board instead of keeping it in the meat.
- Make a quick pan sauce and carve. Pour the pan drippings into a small saucepan. Skim the fat from the surface or tilt the pan and spoon it off. Add a splash of the Meyer lemon juice and bring to a simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season. Remove the twine from the lamb, slice against the grain into 1.5 cm thick pieces, and arrange on a warm platter. Pour the pan sauce over the top. The lemon rounds from the roasting pan make a decent garnish — they're edible and carry the flavor of the roast.
FAQ
A bone-in leg of lamb looks more dramatic on the table and the bone adds flavor to the pan juices. Practically, it's harder to carve and harder to get even cooking — the meat near the bone cooks at a different rate from the exposed end. Boneless butterflied lamb, once rolled and tied, gives you a uniform cylinder that cooks predictably and slices into neat pieces. Every slice gets some crust. The flavor difference is real but modest — the herb paste and the Meyer lemon do more for the taste than the bone ever could.
This depends entirely on preference. Rare: 52°C (125°F) — very pink, soft, almost silky. Medium-rare: 57°C (135°F) — pink throughout, still juicy, what most people who enjoy lamb actually want. Medium: 63°C (145°F) — slightly pink at the center, firmer. Well-done: 71°C+ (160°F+) — gray throughout, noticeably drier. Pull the meat from the oven 5°C before your target because carryover heat during the rest will bring it the rest of the way. The USDA recommends 63°C as a safe minimum with a 3-minute rest. Most cooks who know lamb shoot for 57°C.
Yes — this is one of the genuinely make-ahead-friendly roasts. The uncooked paste-rubbed lamb keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, improving slightly each day as the herbs penetrate deeper. Bring it fully to room temperature before roasting. Once cooked, leftover lamb keeps well for 3 days refrigerated and reheats best in a low oven (150°C, covered with foil and a splash of stock) rather than a microwave, which toughens the protein. Cold sliced lamb in a sandwich with Dijon mustard is genuinely one of the better uses of leftovers.
Regular lemon zest works and is the obvious substitute — just use a bit less, since regular lemons are more aggressively tart. For the floral quality that makes Meyer lemon worth seeking out, mix regular lemon zest with a small amount of orange or mandarin zest: roughly 2 teaspoons regular lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon orange zest gets close. The key distinction is that Meyer lemon is sweeter and less acidic, so it can be used more generously in the paste without the citrus overwhelming the lamb. If using regular lemon, cut the zest amount by about a quarter.
Lamb at this temperature level — lemon, garlic, rosemary — pairs best with sides that don't compete. Roasted potatoes in the same pan (add them cut-side down 45 minutes before the lamb finishes, tossed in the pan drippings) are the obvious choice and require no additional dishes. Braised white beans with a handful of fresh sage absorb the pan sauce well. A simple green salad with a lemon vinaigrette keeps the citrus thread going. For spring specifically: roasted asparagus, pea shoots with olive oil and flaky salt, or a couscous salad with the same herbs in the paste.
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Comments (2)
I made this for Easter last year and the herb paste inside the rolled leg was the highlight — every slice had a green stripe of concentrated rosemary-garlic flavour running through the centre. The overnight marinade is not optional if you want that depth. Meyer lemons are worth hunting for — the floral zest is completely different from regular lemon.
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