Boneless Leg of Lamb

serves 8 - 10

• 1 (5 pound) leg of lamb - boneless
• 3 cloves of garlic - crushed
• 2 teaspoons of dry oregano
• 2 teaspoons of dry thyme
• 2 teaspoons of dry rosemary
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice - fresh squeezed
• 2 cups of dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper

Combine in a small bowl the garlic, dried oregano, thyme, rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.

Rub the garlic and spice mixture all over the lamb.

Put the lamb in a large plastic bag and pour in the olive oil, lemon juice, and red wine.

Squeeze out as much of the air as possible from the bag and seal it closed. As a precaution against the bag leaking, wrap a second bag around marinating lamb. Set the bag in a dish and let the lamb marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. (After 20 minutes of cooking the oven temperature will be lowered to 325 degrees)

Remove the lamb from the bag and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade, it is no longer usable.

Combine the 2 teaspoons of salt with the remaining 3/4 teaspoons of freshly ground pepper. Season the lamb with the salt and pepper.

Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan.

Roast the lamb for 20 minutes at 450 degrees then lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Continue cooking until desired internal temperature is reached.

· Rare135 F. (57.2 C)

· Medium-rare 145 F. (62.8 C)

· Medium 160 F. (72.0 C)

· Well Done 170 F. (77.0 C)

Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.