Slow roasted leg of lamb with roasted onions and chimichurri
DID YOU KNOW? Chimichurri is also called Argentinian pesto. It is an uncooked sauce served with grilled or roasted meat – traditionally served with beef, but it works well with chicken and lamb too. You can buy chimichurri from some supermarkets and deli’s if you don’t want to make your own.
(Serves 6)
2 kg leg of lamb
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, crushed
60 ml chopped fresh rosemary
15 ml brown sugar
250 ml white wine OR lamb stock
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 onions, each cut horizontally into 3 thick slices
CHIMICHURRI
20 ml finely chopped onion
30 ml red wine vinegar
1 jalapeño chilli, chopped (or use 1 small green chilli, seeded)
1 clove garlic, crushed
15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, stalks removed
15 g fresh coriander, stalks removed
5 g fresh oregano leaves
50 ml olive oil
5 ml honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
- Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
- Place the lamb into a large roasting dish and season with salt and pepper.
- Use your hands to rub the garlic over the meat and then rub with the rosemary and brown sugar.
- Pour the wine or lamb stock into the roasting dish, squeeze the lemon juice over the meat and sprinkle with the zest.
- Cover the roasting dish with a lid, or tightly with foil, and roast for 2 and ½hours, basting the meat occasionally.
- Remove the lid or foil from the meat and roast in the oven for another 45 minutes until the meat is golden brown and very tender. Add the thick onion slices to the roasting dish for the last 30 minutes of the cooking time and baste the meat and the onions at least twice.
- If needed, you can drizzle a bit of olive oil on the onions during roasting.
- To make the chimichurri, mix together the chopped onion, red wine vinegar, jalapeño and garlic and stir well. Add the herbs, olive oil and honey and whizz together in a blender. The sauce must still be a little chunky. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon some of the chimichurri over the roasted meat and onions once they are cooked.
- To serve, place the carved meat, roasted onion slices and some fresh herbs on a large platter and serve with the rest of the chimichurri sauce on the side.
TIP: Skim off any fat from the pan juices in the roasting dish and drizzle over the meat when serving OR make a gravy with the pan juices.
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