
Leg of Lamb with Pistachio Pesto
Share
Rich and tender, this leg of lamb (cooked with the joules sous vide method or regular oven method) is as foolproof to make as it is delicious to eat! Serve this cut with pistachio pesto and roasted potatoes, and we can guarantee the whole family will be begging for more.
Whole30 and Paleo-Approved, the pistachio pesto is so thick and naturally creamy that you won't even miss the cheese. Slather the pesto on thick with Primal Kitchen® Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, and tenderize the meat to perfection over two days. And don't forget to go with Reunion Foods for your 100% organic, grass-fed lamb leg! We love supporting meat from high quality sources, and this family-owned company committed to humane animal treatment and environmental conservation fits the bill. Order now! You'll thank us the minute this thick, beautiful cut (packed with flavor and premium nutrition) comes through your door.
Leg of Lamb with Pistachio Pesto
Time: 2 days
Servings: 4
Equipment (for the Sous Vide Method)
- Extra large sous vide bag
- Large tube
- Joule Sous Vide
- Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
For the lamb...
- 1 Reunion Leg of Lamb
- 5 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1⁄4 cup mint leaves
- 1 1⁄4 cup parsley
For the Pistachio Pesto...
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cup (250 ml) pistachios
- 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice (or more to taste)
- 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) mint leaves (loosely packed)
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions (Sous Vide Method)
Day One
- Fill large tub with enough water to cover leg of lamb. Heat sous vide to 140F.
- Score the leg of lamb in a cross hatch pattern, making sure not to go too far past the fat and skin layer.
- Chop the mint and parsley.
- Mix together cumin, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, salt, chopped mint, and parsley, and rub the mixture all over the leg of lamb and into the scored grooves.
- Place leg of lamb in sous vide bag. Secure with clamps. Cover bath with plastic wrap. Cook in sous vide bath at 140F for 24 hours.
Day Two
- Remove the meat from bag.
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Cut away the meat to expose a bit of the bone. Make a big foil ball, and use it to prop the leg up so air can flow around it and dry the skin a bit before it goes in the oven. Dry for about 10-15 minutes as the oven reaches temp).
- Place the lamb leg in the oven, and cook for 15-20 minutes until slightly crispy.
- In the meantime, combine the pistachio pesto ingredients in a food processor, blending until creamy.
- Remove the meat from the oven, and serve with pistachio pesto and lemon turmeric potatoes.
- Enjoy!
Don't have a joules sous vide? Not to worry! Use these alternative cooking instructions!
Instructions (Traditional Oven Method)
- Preheat oven to 425. (All of the same directions for scoring/seasoning the lamb used above can be followed as is).
- Place the lamb leg on an elevated rack in a roasting pan, fat side up.
- Roast for 25 minutes (gives it a nice golden crust on the outside).
- Turn the temperature down to 350 for 1-1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature (measured from the thickest part of the roast) reaches 130 degrees. Check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer every 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and the rack from the pan. Let the leg roast cool on the rack for at least 15-20 minutes with aluminum foil tented over top. The internal temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees.
- Carve the lamb by slicing against the grain to serve.
- Enjoy!