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Greek leg of lamb and potatoes in large roasting pan.
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5 from 8 votes

Greek Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Potatoes

This Greek-style slow-roasted leg of lamb with potatoes and ladolemono sauce has outrageous flavor and since it's slow-roasted it's very low maintenance! It's perfect for Easter and other holiday gatherings, but so good you'll want to make it all year long.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 15 minutes
Overnight salting (dry brining)12 hours
Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 8
Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

For the dry brine

  • 1 4 1/2-5 pound leg of lamb trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Remaining ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes cut into large wedges
  • 15 cloves garlic divided
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary leaves
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

For the ladolemono sauce

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons Greek dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Salt (dry brine) overnight

  • Season the lamb with salt and pepper and then place the lamb on a wire rack lined baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

Marinate and roast

  • Remove the roast from the fridge 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 325f and set the rack to the middle level.
  • Cut 5 garlic cloves into pointed slivers. Make slits in the lamb and press the garlic into those slits.
  • Place the rosemary, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, remaining garlic, and olive oil into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour half of the marinade over the lamb and rub it all over. Let the lamb absorb the marinade for at least 30 minutes before roasting.
  • Place the potato wedges into a large roasting pan. Pour the remaining marinade all over the potatoes and mix well. Pour the chicken stock into the roasting pan. Season the potatoes with salt to taste and sprinkle the paprika and oregano all over.
  • Place the lamb, fat side up, on top of the potatoes. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast in the oven for 3 hours. Check the lamb with a fork. The meat should easily pull away from the bone and should be tender throughout. If not, cover and roast for another 30-60 minutes and check again.
  • Once tender, turn the heat to 450f and remove the foil. Roast for another 10-12 minutes or until the roast is lightly browned. The final internal temp of the lamb might hit 190-200f. It is more important to cook the lamb until tender and shreddable than worrying about the exact internal temp!
  • Remove the lamb to a platter and tent with foil. Continue to roast the potatoes until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 20-30 minutes).
  • Place the potatoes onto the platter with the lamb. Degrease the remaining pan sauce and pour the sauce on top of the lamb and potatoes. Serve lamb with ladolemono sauce. Enjoy!

For the ladolemono sauce

  • Blend or whisk the ingredients and season with salt to taste.

Video

Notes

  • Salting (dry brining) the lamb overnight is recommended. 
  • Brine at a 1% ratio of salt to total leg of lamb weight. A 5-pound leg of lamb weighs 2270 grams so it needs ~22 grams of salt which equals roughly 1 1/4 tablespoons of table salt.  When using Kosher salt you will need to use more tablespoons because a tablespoon of Kosher salt weighs less than a tablespoon of table salt.  See the table below:
    • 1 Tablespoon of Table salt = ~19 grams
    • 1 Tablespoon Morton Kosher salt = ~15 grams
    • 1 Tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt = ~10 grams
  • A note about doneness - This Greek-style lamb is supposed to be well done and shreddable.  If you want medium-rare lamb, aim for 130°F or about 20 minutes per pound.  Use an oven-safe thermometer for accuracy. 
  • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge.   To reheat, wrap the lamb in foil and cook in the oven at 350f until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 706kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.5g | Protein: 55.8g | Fat: 41.3g | Saturated Fat: 16.3g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 1135mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 21g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 5mg

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