Persian Roast Leg of Lamb

Place oven rack in lower-middle position and preheat to 375F. Place a roasting rack inside a large roasting pan, then pour the chicken broth into the roasting pan. Set aside.

Prep the lamb. Cover a work surface with a large piece of plastic wrap. Remove the string or net bag from the lamb, and place it – rough side up – on the plastic wrap. Cover with another large piece of plastic wrap and bludgeon with a meat mallet or rolling pin until the meat is about 3/4 inch thick.

Make the spicy fat. Place the garlic, mint, advieh, 4 tablespoons coconut oil (or ghee), 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Rub half the spicy fat mixture on the meat, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Save the remainder of the spicy fat for later. (Am I mistaken in thinking that Spicy Fat could be an awesome band name?)

Roll it! Roll the lamb into a tight cylinder and tie with twine. It works best if you wrap it around crosswise every inch or so, then wrap it lengthwise a time or two. I am not skilled at wrapping, and I did it totally half-assed, but it worked out just fine. You don’t need to stress about roast wrapping, but if you want more guidance, you might watch this video. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Brown it. Heat a large, non-stick over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or ghee). When the fat is hot, about 2-3 minutes, add the lamb and brown it on all sides. This takes a little time ’cause you want a nice brown crust all the way around. Don’t forget to stand the roast on its ends, too. Cook’s Illustrated used tongs in their instructions, but I had to resort to two wooden spoons. The process took about 10 minutes to brown the whole thing.

Roast it. When the roast is brown all over, place it on the rack and slide the whole thing into the oven. In a microwave or saucepan, melt the remaining spicy fat mixture, and every 10-15 minutes, brush the outside of the roast with the spiced fat. The meat will be cooked to medium rare when the internal temperature registers 130-135F, about 45-55 minutes. I like mine a little more well done, so I roasted for 60 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, cover with a tent made from a big-ass piece of foil, and let it rest 10-15 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and devour. If you have juice/drippings in your roasting pan, you can strain them through cheese cloth, then use as a drizzle sauce for the sliced lamb.