Pear-Marinated Roast Leg of Lamb

By á-25222

The enzymes found in pears tenderize this roast lamb, while garlic and herbs add flavor. The dish, from Corey Lee, chef-owner at San Francisco restaurant Benu, goes well with roasted pears and shallots. This recipe first appeared with the 2015 SAVEUR 100 item A New/Old Use for Pear Juice.

Ingredients

• Ingredients
•  1 (10–12-lb.) bone-in leg of lamb, shank bone exposed
•  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
•  1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  1⁄3 cup roughly chopped rosemary
•  2 tbsp. roughly chopped thyme
•  6 cloves garlic, unpeeled and crushed
•  Zest of 1 lemon, using a vegetable peeler
•  1 Asian pear, peeled and coarsely grated
•  1⁄4 cup canola oil
•  8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions


1 Season lamb with salt and pepper. Simmer olive oil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium. Add rosemary, thyme, garlic, and lemon zest; let cool. Stir in pear and rub over lamb; chill overnight.

2 The next day, heat oven to 325°. Brush marinade from lamb and pat dry using paper towels. Heat canola oil in a roasting pan over medium-high. Season lamb with salt and pepper; cook, turning as needed, until browned, 15–20 minutes. Add butter and transfer to oven; roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb reads 130°, 1½–2 hours for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.