It's spring lamb time in Turkey. This is meat from unweaned animals and it's
only available at this time of year. It is incredibly delicious.
This year I tried a technique that I saw on the Food Channel (bless them). I
seasoned a leg of lamb with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. Wrapped
it tightly in several layers of aluminum foil. Baked it in a preheated 350
degree oven with a total time of 20 minutes a pound. A third of the way
through the cooking time, I removed the wrapping and returned the joint to
the oven, turning it over and basting it every 15-20 minutes or so for the
rest of the cooking time. When the cooking time was up, I removed the joint
from the pan to a platter and let it sit for about 15 minutes before
carving. It will release a lot of juice that can be used as a natural sauce.
The result is a golden, succulent joint well done on the outside and
increasingly rare as you move in.
Many people don't like lamb because it's "too fat". This method renders much
of the fat out and produces a result that is not greasy at all.
Afiyet olsun!