I bought a fresh organic leg of lamb, a fairly large piece of meat,
bone-in. It was supposed to be for tonight with six people at table.
Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and here I am with a 3kg
piece of lamb. My plan is to freeze it and have it during the
holidays. However, I don't like rare (or even pink) meat so my plan is
to slow cook it. I prefer to cook until temperature is reached, not by
time/weight which is an uncertain measure given that electric ovens
vary. I want to slow cook it and am prepared to start early on
whichever day I decide to do this.

So, at which temperature will I get the best results for meat that
pulls off with a fork? 225F? 300F?

Do I need to heat the oven to 450F first?

Should I cover the meat with foil?

P.S. I used to have a recipe that used lemon slices but I lost it and
have never been able to reproduce that perfect leg of lamb since.

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

Michel Boucher wrote:
> I bought a fresh organic leg of lamb, a fairly large piece of meat,
> bone-in. It was supposed to be for tonight with six people at table.
> Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and here I am with a 3kg
> piece of lamb. My plan is to freeze it and have it during the
> holidays. However, I don't like rare (or even pink) meat so my plan is
> to slow cook it. I prefer to cook until temperature is reached, not by

I'd be happy to help you, since I have cooked many a leg. But, I don't
see how it can be done right without the meat being at least pink.

"Michel Boucher" > wrote in message
...
>I bought a fresh organic leg of lamb, a fairly large piece of meat,
> bone-in. It was supposed to be for tonight with six people at table.
> Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and here I am with a 3kg
> piece of lamb. My plan is to freeze it and have it during the
> holidays. However, I don't like rare (or even pink) meat so my plan is
> to slow cook it. I prefer to cook until temperature is reached, not by
> time/weight which is an uncertain measure given that electric ovens
> vary. I want to slow cook it and am prepared to start early on
> whichever day I decide to do this.
>
> So, at which temperature will I get the best results for meat that
> pulls off with a fork? 225F? 300F?
>
> Do I need to heat the oven to 450F first?
>
> Should I cover the meat with foil?
>
> P.S. I used to have a recipe that used lemon slices but I lost it and
> have never been able to reproduce that perfect leg of lamb since.
snip

Do you have a Tagine? It will cook perfectly in a Tagine but you can copy
this with a covered pot that will fit in the oven.

Lay a few stems of rosemary on the bottom and sit the lamb on there with a
few lemon slices. Squeeze juice of half a lemon over the lamb and rub in
some grated garlic. You can sprinkle with salt and pepper as well.

Slow roast it at 130 deg C (270 Deg F) for about 6 hours. Don't peak in
there. Remove and use the juice to make a gravy. There will be no pink and
it will cut with a fork, it should be so tender

Frenchy

PS As you will have frozen this by now, that it before starting to cook it

"Frenchy" > wrote in
:

> Do you have a Tagine? It will cook perfectly in a Tagine but you
> can copy this with a covered pot that will fit in the oven.

I should be able to manage something for that.

> Lay a few stems of rosemary on the bottom and sit the lamb on
> there with a few lemon slices. Squeeze juice of half a lemon over
> the lamb and rub in some grated garlic. You can sprinkle with
> salt and pepper as well.
>
> Slow roast it at 130 deg C (270 Deg F) for about 6 hours. Don't
> peak in there. Remove and use the juice to make a gravy. There
> will be no pink and it will cut with a fork, it should be so
> tender

Perfect. Thanks.

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

"simy1" > wrote in
ups.com:

> Michel Boucher wrote:
>> I bought a fresh organic leg of lamb, a fairly large piece of
>> meat, bone-in. It was supposed to be for tonight with six people
>> at table. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and here I am
>> with a 3kg piece of lamb. My plan is to freeze it and have it
>> during the holidays. However, I don't like rare (or even pink)
>> meat so my plan is to slow cook it. I prefer to cook until
>> temperature is reached, not by
>
> I'd be happy to help you, since I have cooked many a leg. But, I
> don't see how it can be done right without the meat being at least
> pink.

I'm afraid that's a taste I don't share.

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

Michel Boucher > wrote:

> I want to slow cook it and am prepared to start early on
> whichever day I decide to do this.

Here is a very nice recipe from _Bistro Cooking_ by Patricia Wells,
complete with her comments. It is from a favourite Paris restaurant.

Victor

Gîgot d'agneau à la sept heures Ambassade d'Auvergne
Ambassade d'Auvergne's Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb

Cook lamb for seven hours? For those of us who have religiously
followed the rule that "the only good lamb is a rare lamb," this recipe
is sheer heresy! I first sampled it years ago at Paris's Ambassade
d'Auvergne, and decided that the slow cooking - almost like a pot roast
- really worked well with a large leg of lamb.
By now, I've lost track of the number of places, and number of times
I've prepared this dish. The first time I tried it, I baked the lamb in
our brick-lined bread oven, and the sweet, tender aromas of the lamb
filled our courtyard for the long afternoon. Once, a friend prepared it
for me, using red wine, and it was delicious. Traditionally, the dish
was prepared with tougher mutton, but I find any size leg of lamb can be
used. With this, try a good red, such as Côtes d'Auvergne, or a
Gigondas.

6 medium onions, quartered
6 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and halved
6 imported bay leaves
1 bunch of fresh thyme or several teaspoons dried
1 leg of lamb, bone-in, 6 to 7 pounds (3 to 3.5 kg)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bottles (75 cl each) dry white wine, such as Aligoté
5 pounds (2.5 kg) large boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
5 tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

2. Layer the onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme on the
bottom of a covered nonreactive roaster large enough to hold the lamb.
Place the lamb on top and roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove the
roaster from the oven and generously season the lamb with salt and
pepper. Return it to the oven and roast for 30 more minutes.

3. Remove the roaster from the oven. Leave the oven on. Place the
roaster on top of the stove, slowly pour the wine over the lamb, cover,
and bring the liquid to the boil. Return the roaster, covered, to the
oven and roast the lamb until the meat is very tender, still juicy, and
falling off the bone. Timing will vary according to the size and age of
the leg of lamb, and the type of the roasting pan used. But once the
wine has been added, it will take 4 to 5 additional hours of baking.
Obviously, it is best to check on the lamb from time to time, reducing
the oven heat if the lamb begins to burn or the liquid begins to
evaporate too much.

4. One hour before serving, bury the potatoes and tomatoes in the
liquid. Cover and roast until the potatoes are cooked through, about 1
hour more. The lamb should be very moist and tender and falling off the
bone. As the French say, you should be able to eat it with a spoon.

Yield: 12 servings

(Victor Sack) wrote in
:

> Michel Boucher > wrote:
>
>> I want to slow cook it and am prepared to start early on
>> whichever day I decide to do this.
>
> Here is a very nice recipe from _Bistro Cooking_ by Patricia
> Wells, complete with her comments. It is from a favourite Paris
> restaurant.
>
> Victor
>
> Gîgot d'agneau à la sept heures Ambassade d'Auvergne
> Ambassade d'Auvergne's Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb

Thank you, Victor. That's exactly what I was looking for. For a
holiday meal, it will not be too extravagant either.

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 15:12:17 -0600, Michel Boucher
> wrote:

>"simy1" > wrote in
oups.com:
>
>> Michel Boucher wrote:
>>> I bought a fresh organic leg of lamb, a fairly large piece of
>>> meat, bone-in. It was supposed to be for tonight with six people
>>> at table. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and here I am
>>> with a 3kg piece of lamb. My plan is to freeze it and have it
>>> during the holidays. However, I don't like rare (or even pink)
>>> meat so my plan is to slow cook it. I prefer to cook until
>>> temperature is reached, not by
>>
>> I'd be happy to help you, since I have cooked many a leg. But, I
>> don't see how it can be done right without the meat being at least
>> pink.
>
>I'm afraid that's a taste I don't share.

Honestly, Michael.... why through away good money on a leg? Just get
a shoulder and do to it what you will.

--
See return address to reply by email

On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:19:54 +0100, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

> Gîgot d'agneau à la sept heures Ambassade d'Auvergne
> Ambassade d'Auvergne's Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb
>
>Cook lamb for seven hours? For those of us who have religiously
>followed the rule that "the only good lamb is a rare lamb," this recipe
>is sheer heresy! I first sampled it years ago at Paris's Ambassade
>d'Auvergne, and decided that the slow cooking - almost like a pot roast
>- really worked well with a large leg of lamb.

I'm not against fully cooked lamb, but why over cook a part that
doesn't need to be over cooked? It's akin to braising a beef fillet.

--
See return address to reply by email

sf wrote in :

> Honestly, Michael.... why through away good money on a leg? Just get
> a shoulder and do to it what you will.

Who's Michael?

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

sf wrote in :

> I'm not against fully cooked lamb, but why over cook a part that
> doesn't need to be over cooked? It's akin to braising a beef fillet.

In your opinion. I have eaten and very much enjoyed slow-cooked lamb.
Every time I have been served pink lamb, I have been unable to eat it.
So given that I cannot eat uncooked lamb, what would you suggest?
(this is a rhethorical question)

Do you think that if I actually enjoyed pink lamb that I would not know
how to cook it that way? Btw, not particularly fond of underdone veal
or beef either.

De gustibus et coloribus et welldonelambibus non disputantur.

Or, for those among you who do not speak Latin: different strokes for
different folks.

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

<sf> wrote:

> On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:19:54 +0100, (Victor Sack)
> wrote:
>
> > Gîgot d'agneau à la sept heures Ambassade d'Auvergne
> > Ambassade d'Auvergne's Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb
> >
> >Cook lamb for seven hours? For those of us who have religiously
> >followed the rule that "the only good lamb is a rare lamb," this recipe
> >is sheer heresy! I first sampled it years ago at Paris's Ambassade
> >d'Auvergne, and decided that the slow cooking - almost like a pot roast
> >- really worked well with a large leg of lamb.
>
> I'm not against fully cooked lamb, but why over cook a part that
> doesn't need to be over cooked? It's akin to braising a beef fillet.

It is not overcooked, it is cooked just right. There is more than one
way to prepare a piece of meat. The proof's in the eating - try it and
see. As to braising a beef fillet, it is done too - and I posted a
recipe fairly recently - see
<http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/7f178261191bccb6>.

Seven-hour leg of lamb is an old, traditional French recipe, much loved
by a lot of discerning people, not just Patricia Wells but, for example,
Anthony Bourdain, who includes a recipe in his Les Halles cookbook, or
Heston Blumethal, a Michelin three-star chef, no less. Here is
Blumenthal's version, from
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4304720,00.html>.

Victor

Gîgot de sept heures

Although this is called seven-hour leg of lamb, this is the shortest
time you should cook it for.

Serves six to seven.

1 leg of lamb, around 3kg
30 g Maldon sea salt
1 bunch thyme
Olive oil and pepper
2 carrots
2 onions
1 1/2 star anise
1 head garlic
1 bouquet garni consisting of a bay leaf, plus lots of thyme and
rosemary
300 ml white wine
100 g cold unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional, but it really does make a
difference)

You'll need an oven tray big enough to hold the lamb and vegetables. The
dish should have a lid, but tightly sealed tinfoil will do.

Two days before cooking, rub the meat with half of the sea salt and half
the thyme. On the day of cooking, wipe off any excess salt and brown the
leg in olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan with a tight-fitting lid.
Pepper the meat and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 65°C. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and onions.
Pour out excess fat from the pan and lightly brown the vegetables with
the star anise, adding a little fresh olive oil if necessary. Place the
meat on the vegetables and the head of garlic, cut across in half,
either side. Add the bouquet garni and 300 ml of water, and put the lid
on. Place the pan in the oven.

Every half an hour, remove the tray from the oven and baste the meat
with the juices, adding more water when necessary. Maintain the water
level for the full seven hours. Half an hour before the meat is ready,
add the remainder of the thyme. Meanwhile, put the white wine in a
saucepan and as soon as it comes to the boil, burn off the acidity by
holding a naked flame to the liquid; just watch your fingers! Reduce the
wine until thick and syrupy, to about 50 ml.

Remove the leg of lamb and set aside. Tip the contents of the pan into a
fine-mesh sieve, placed over the saucepan containing the reduced wine,
pressing on the vegetables with the back of a spoon to extract all of
the juices. Discard the contents of the sieve. Bring this to the boil
and reduce, skimming off any impurities that come to the surface. When
the liquid has a sauce consistency, whisk in the cold butter. Sprinkle
the parsley on the lamb and serve with the sauce on the side.

Victor Sack wrote:
> <sf> wrote:
>
>
>> On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 23:19:54 +0100, (Victor Sack)
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Gîgot d'agneau à la sept heures Ambassade d'Auvergne
>>> Ambassade d'Auvergne's Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb
>>>
>>> Cook lamb for seven hours? For those of us who have religiously
>>> followed the rule that "the only good lamb is a rare lamb," this recipe
>>> is sheer heresy! I first sampled it years ago at Paris's Ambassade
>>> d'Auvergne, and decided that the slow cooking - almost like a pot roast
>>> - really worked well with a large leg of lamb.
>>>
>> I'm not against fully cooked lamb, but why over cook a part that
>> doesn't need to be over cooked? It's akin to braising a beef fillet.
>>
>
> It is not overcooked, it is cooked just right. There is more than one
> way to prepare a piece of meat. The proof's in the eating - try it and
> see. As to braising a beef fillet, it is done too - and I posted a
> recipe fairly recently - see
> <http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.cooking/msg/7f178261191bccb6>.
>
> Seven-hour leg of lamb is an old, traditional French recipe, much loved
> by a lot of discerning people, not just Patricia Wells but, for example,
> Anthony Bourdain, who includes a recipe in his Les Halles cookbook, or
> Heston Blumethal, a Michelin three-star chef, no less. Here is
> Blumenthal's version, from
> <http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4304720,00.html>.
>
> Victor
>
> Gîgot de sept heures
>
> Although this is called seven-hour leg of lamb, this is the shortest
> time you should cook it for.
>
> Serves six to seven.
>
> 1 leg of lamb, around 3kg
> 30 g Maldon sea salt
> 1 bunch thyme
> Olive oil and pepper
> 2 carrots
> 2 onions
> 1 1/2 star anise
> 1 head garlic
> 1 bouquet garni consisting of a bay leaf, plus lots of thyme and
> rosemary
> 300 ml white wine
> 100 g cold unsalted butter
> 2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional, but it really does make a
> difference)
>
> You'll need an oven tray big enough to hold the lamb and vegetables. The
> dish should have a lid, but tightly sealed tinfoil will do.
>
> Two days before cooking, rub the meat with half of the sea salt and half
> the thyme. On the day of cooking, wipe off any excess salt and brown the
> leg in olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan with a tight-fitting lid.
> Pepper the meat and set aside.
>
> Pre-heat the oven to 65°C. Peel and roughly chop the carrots and onions.
> Pour out excess fat from the pan and lightly brown the vegetables with
> the star anise, adding a little fresh olive oil if necessary. Place the
> meat on the vegetables and the head of garlic, cut across in half,
> either side. Add the bouquet garni and 300 ml of water, and put the lid
> on. Place the pan in the oven.
>
> Every half an hour, remove the tray from the oven and baste the meat
> with the juices, adding more water when necessary. Maintain the water
> level for the full seven hours. Half an hour before the meat is ready,
> add the remainder of the thyme. Meanwhile, put the white wine in a
> saucepan and as soon as it comes to the boil, burn off the acidity by
> holding a naked flame to the liquid; just watch your fingers! Reduce the
> wine until thick and syrupy, to about 50 ml.
>
> Remove the leg of lamb and set aside. Tip the contents of the pan into a
> fine-mesh sieve, placed over the saucepan containing the reduced wine,
> pressing on the vegetables with the back of a spoon to extract all of
> the juices. Discard the contents of the sieve. Bring this to the boil
> and reduce, skimming off any impurities that come to the surface. When
> the liquid has a sauce consistency, whisk in the cold butter. Sprinkle
> the parsley on the lamb and serve with the sauce on the side.
>
That sounds wonderful, but there is just one off-putting thing. Basting
the meat every half hour for seven hours!

Christine

On Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:45:51 +0100, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

>Seven-hour leg of lamb is an old, traditional French recipe

It problably needed to be cooked to death in those days.

--
See return address to reply by email

Victor beat me to it .... I also have the Patricia Wells book and
highly recommend that and other recipes in it.

Was it Elizabeth David or Julia Child/Simone Beck who first brought our
attention to a delicious and aptly named French method of long slow
cooking of a leg of lamb: Gigot qui pleure? The crying leg (don't you
love it). The principle is the same but in this case the leg,
liberally studded with garlic slivers and slathered in butter, is put
on an oven rack above a roasting pan (i.e., NOT IN the pan) and roasted
very slowly for hours, during which is weeps into the pan.

I too like rare lamb, but it is a very forgiving meat and there has
never been a more excitingly festive feast than a whole lamb (not too
young) roasted very slowly out of doors on a spit in the company of
some Greek friends who know how just how to flavour it with olive oil,
garlic and lemon juice (and muster the younger boys to turn the spit).

You guys are making me hungry.

Cheers,
Ron Burnett
Melbourne, Australia

Old Mother Ashby > scripsit in
:

> That sounds wonderful, but there is just one off-putting thing.
> Basting the meat every half hour for seven hours!

Good thing to do on a cold winter day with your fanmily all in the
house.

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem

sf wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Nov 2006 23:45:51 +0100, (Victor Sack)
> wrote:
>
>> Seven-hour leg of lamb is an old, traditional French recipe
>
> It problably needed to be cooked to death in those days.

How silly a thing to post. Lambs used to be more muscular in
the old days...?

It's a method that works, produces a succulent result and a
particularly satisfying meal.

Had some a couple weeks ago with local lamb. Grand.

I was astonished to learn that there's only *one* correct
way to cook lamb. Thank you for clearing that up.

Pastorio

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 12 Nov 2006 15:12:17 -0600, Michel Boucher
> > wrote:
>
>> "simy1" > wrote in
>> ups.com:
>>
>>> Michel Boucher wrote:
>>>> I bought a fresh organic leg of lamb, a fairly large piece of
>>>> meat, bone-in. It was supposed to be for tonight with six people
>>>> at table. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen and here I am
>>>> with a 3kg piece of lamb. My plan is to freeze it and have it
>>>> during the holidays. However, I don't like rare (or even pink)
>>>> meat so my plan is to slow cook it. I prefer to cook until
>>>> temperature is reached, not by
>>> I'd be happy to help you, since I have cooked many a leg. But, I
>>> don't see how it can be done right without the meat being at least
>>> pink.
>> I'm afraid that's a taste I don't share.
>
> Honestly, Michael.... why through away good money on a leg? Just get
> a shoulder and do to it what you will.

Hey Michel. This is advice from the Sheldon School of
Cuisine. The "There's just one way of cooking it" philosophy
with a tinge of "Only I know *THE* one true way."

The 7-hour roast leg approach works wonderfully and there
are many recipes available. The shoulder wouldn't be as good
for this because of the texture of the meat and the fat and
connective tissue.

Happy lamb.

Pastorio

"Bob (this one)" > scripsit in
:

> Hey Michel. This is advice from the Sheldon School of
> Cuisine. The "There's just one way of cooking it" philosophy
> with a tinge of "Only I know *THE* one true way."

I'm not worried about opinions. I know what I want to do with that leg
of lamb and I have a few methods for doing that and I'm happy.

Of course if you want the real "only one way" suggest using Cheez Whiz
for poutine :-) All these others are rank amateurs...

--

"There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in."

Leonard Cohen, Anthem