Ingredients:
- 1 boneless leg of lamb (5 to 6 pounds)
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sumac
- 2 tablespoons ground fennel seed
- 1 tablespoon ground pasilla chile, or other medium-hot chile, such as ancho or mulato
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground clove
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Pat the lamb leg dry with paper towels and set aside.
- Combine the salt, sumac, fennel seed, ground chile, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, oregano and rosemary in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the olive oil and stir to make a thick paste.
- Rub the paste over the entire lamb leg, making certain to coat all of the surfaces.
- Place the rub-coated lamb leg on the rack of a roasting pan with foil on the bottom.
- Refrigerate the leg for 2 to 3 hours, or allow to sit at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Thirty minutes before you’re ready to roast the lamb leg, heat the oven to 450°F.
- Put the roasting pan with the lamb leg on a rack in the middle of the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue to roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 140°F for medium rare.
- Plan on 25 to 30 minutes per pound, or a total of approximately 2-1/2 hours for a 5 to 6 pound leg.
- Begin checking the temperature after 1-1/2 hours, to get a sense of how quickly the meat is cooking.
- When it reaches 140°F, remove the lamb leg from the oven and pour 1/2 cup water in the bottom of the pan.
- Cover the lamb leg loosely with foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
