Lamb steak
I have made this lamb roast several times, especially for Easter, but also on other occasions. The last time I prepared it using an old recipe from Sylvia, with some modifications, because I had both a large leg and sliced pieces. The long marination really makes a difference in tenderness, and the taste is balanced, without any overpowering flavors. The guests were satisfied, and I liked that it’s not complicated to make, just requires time.
Quick Info
Total time: Approximately 36-40 hours (including marination)
Effective preparation time: 40-50 minutes (without marination and baking)
Baking time: 2 hours 45 minutes at 160°C, plus 3 hours at 140°C
Servings: 8-10
Difficulty: Medium (not hard, but requires patience and attention to steps)
Occasion: Easter, festive meal
Ingredients
a large leg of lamb (or lamb meat, sliced or whole, as preferred)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper (I used ground pepper)
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or dried)
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried mint
½ teaspoon chili flakes (to taste)
1 head of garlic
200 ml white wine (or red, both work)
Preparation Method
1. Preparing the meat
Wash the lamb meat and let it drain. If using a whole leg, you can puncture it here and there to allow the flavors to penetrate better.
2. First marinade
In a food processor or with a knife, finely chop the thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, and chili flakes together with the salt, pepper, and a little olive oil (about a tablespoon). Add 2-3 tablespoons of wine (white or red, whichever you have). Rub the meat well with the spice mixture. Make small holes in the leg with the tip of a knife and insert a piece of garlic (use about half of the head for this step). Wrap the meat tightly in cling film and place it in the fridge. 24 hours is recommended; I kept it for about 27, but less time is fine if you’re short on time.
3. Second marinade
After the first 24 hours, remove the meat from the cling film and place it in a non-metallic dish. Crush the remaining garlic and place it over the meat, adding the rest of the wine (up to 200 ml). Cover the dish with cling film and return it to the fridge for another 12 hours.
4. Draining and browning
After the complete marination, remove the meat and let it drain in a plastic sieve (or on a grill over a tray). Let it sit for about 30 minutes to get rid of excess liquid. Heat the olive oil (about a tablespoon, not too much) in a large pan. Add a few garlic cloves and a sprig of thyme for flavor. Brown the leg on all sides over medium-high heat until it develops a golden crust.
5. Baking – first stage
Transfer the meat to a large baking dish. Pour the marinade juices over it, adding a little water if the liquid doesn’t cover the bottom of the dish well. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Cover the dish with aluminum foil or a lid to prevent it from drying out too much.
6. Cooling down
Turn off the oven and let the meat cool in the dish for about 2 hours (or overnight if you have time). The meat rests and becomes more tender.
7. Baking – second stage
Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C. Turn the leg and bake for another 3 hours. Occasionally (every 30-60 minutes), check if it still has liquid. Add wine (or water, as preferred) if it reduces too much.
8. Final resting and serving
Remove the roast and let it breathe for 15 minutes before slicing. You can serve it with mashed potatoes, salads, or simple sauces.
Why I often make this recipe
It’s one of the options I return to for festive meals. It can be easily adapted in quantity or type of meat (sliced or whole). The meat comes out tender, even if you don’t have time to follow all the steps to the second. Plus, it can be started a day or two in advance, which helps with organization.
Tips and variations
Tips
Use the freshest lamb meat for tenderness.
If you don’t have all the fresh herbs, dried ones will work too.
When browning, don’t leave the meat unattended – it develops a crust quickly.
A longer marination yields better results, but if you only have 18-20 hours, it’s not a tragedy.
Substitutions
The wine can be white or red, depending on what you have on hand.
Fresh thyme can be replaced with dried.
If you don’t like spicy, reduce or omit the chili flakes.
Variations
You can also use sliced pieces of lamb, not just a whole leg. This reduces the baking time a bit.
For more flavor, you can add 1-2 onions or a few slices of carrot to the dish.
Serving ideas
It goes well with mashed potatoes, green salad, or beet salad.
A yogurt sauce with mint is refreshing alongside the roast.
It can be served on a platter, sliced, for a festive meal.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the meat be marinated?
Ideally, it should be 36 hours in total (24 hours in the first marinade, then another 12 hours in the second), but if you have less time, even 18-24 hours helps significantly.
Can I use red wine instead of white?
Yes, both are suitable. Red wine gives a deeper color and a slightly different taste, but it doesn’t change the base recipe.
Can it be made only with lamb leg?
It can also be made with other pieces (ribs or sliced meat), but the baking time will decrease and tenderness should be checked more often.
What can I do if I don’t have all the herbs?
You can replace them with what you have or omit what you don’t like; the result will still be good. Basil and rosemary can also be used dried, and mint can be omitted if you don’t have it.
Can I prepare the roast a day before serving?
Yes, it is even recommended. It keeps well, and the flavors settle better overnight.
Nutritional values (estimate)
For 100 g of roasted lamb meat:
Calories: approximately 220-260 kcal
Protein: 25-28 g
Fat: 12-18 g (depends on the type of meat)
Carbohydrates: under 1 g (herbs and wine don’t add much)
Values may vary depending on how much fat the meat has and the amount of oil used for browning.
Storage and reheating
The meat can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, covered. For reheating, place the slices in a covered dish and add a little water or wine to prevent drying out. I do not recommend freezing after baking, as the texture suffers. For best taste, it’s best consumed fresh or the next day.
I bought more lamb meat, even sliced, and I also had a large piece of good quality leg. I washed the meat and followed the marinating steps. In the first stage, I mixed sea salt with pepper (I used ground) and with herbs and chili flakes, finely chopping them with a food processor with a little olive oil and white or red wine, and mixed the leg with this mixture. I pierced the leg and the meat and inserted a piece of garlic into the holes. I wrapped the leg with cling film to avoid contact with air and to let the meat absorb the flavors. I kept the meat in the refrigerator (normally it should be 24 hours) but I kept it less, after 24 hours the meat is taken out of the wrap and placed in a non-metallic dish and another marinade is made, adding a little crushed garlic and plenty of white or red wine. It is covered with a film and put back in the fridge for 12 hours. The leg is taken out and kept in a plastic strainer to drain, then fried well on all sides in olive oil flavored with garlic and green thyme sprigs (I used dried) until a nice color is obtained. I placed it in the preheated oven at 160 degrees for 2 hours and 45 minutes. I stopped baking and let it rest for about 2 hours in a cool place, it can also be left overnight. The second baking stage was at 140 degrees for about 3 hours, turning the leg every 30 minutes to an hour and adding white or red wine whenever the liquid in the tray decreases. It is allowed to rest for about 15 minutes before being served and can be served with a side dish of choice, with mashed potatoes, salads, or sauces. I didn't add too much wine at the end but added water, each to their own preference. Enjoy your meal!
Ingredients: a lamb shank (I had more, I made it in 2 trays) olive oil sea salt and pepper mint sprigs of green (or dried) thyme rosemary basil chili flakes 1 head of garlic 200 ml white wine (I didn't have it, I used red)
