Get the Recipe:
Sous Vide Boneless Leg of Lamb
How to sous vide perfectly tender boneless leg of lamb at home! This leg of lamb recipe is a wonderful main dish for special occasions, but simple and effortless enough—with the help of sous vide equipment—to enjoy as a nice Sunday dinner. For best results, use boneless leg of lamb that is butterflied.
Ingredients
For the lamb:
- 3-5 pound boneless leg of lamb
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 garlic cloves
- Leaves of 1 rosemary sprig
- Leaves of 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Ghee or butter for searing
For the salsa verde (optional):
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp flaked sea salt
- Juice of half a lemon
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Using your immersion circulator, preheat water bath to 130 degrees F.
- Add all the ingredients except the lamb, ghee, and salsa verde ingredients to a food processor or use a mortar and pestle to grind them into a paste.
- Season the leg of lamb liberally on both sides with additional kosher salt. Lay with the fat cap side down (you can trim this if you want) and score the top with a sharp paring knife (this means dragging the knife across in diagonal lines both ways - watch the how to video to see how it's done!).
- Rub the herb mixture all over the scored side. Roll it up, and secure in place with butcher's twine.
- Vacuum seal the rolled leg of lamb or add to a gallon-sized zipper top bag and remove all the air. Add to preheated water bath and cook for 3-5 hours.
- When done, remove from the water bath and bag. Pat leg of lamb as dry as possible with paper towels.
- Get a cast iron skillet searing hot - as hot as possible - and add enough ghee to coat the skillet. Sear the leg of lamb on all sides until golden brown.
- Let the leg of lamb rest for a moment on the cutting board. Prep the salsa verde by mixing together all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Remove the twine from the leg of lamb and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Top with salsa verde and serve!
Notes
Make sure your leg of lamb is boneless and butterflied. Your butcher can do this.
Another great condiment: garlicky yogurt sauce. Saute garlic and onions in a little olive oil. Let cool, then mix into greek yogurt with a little salt.
What should I do with leftovers?
I looooove the leftovers almost more than the actual dish! I sliced the remaining leg of lamb super, super thinly and used it to make sandwiches with pesto, confit tomatoes, and goat cheese; pitas with arugula, Mama Lil's hot peppers, kalamata olives, hummus, and labneh; hashes with potatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and a fried egg. Get creative!
Can you overcook lamb in sous vide?
The short answer is no, but you kind of can. As long as you use a temperature between 130-135 degrees F, it will be a beautiful medium rare, but you can affect the texture if you cook it too long. Don't go more than 5 hours and you'll be a-okay.
Does meat get more tender the longer you sous vide?
Yes, it does! That's the beauty of sous vide. You can tenderize while keeping meat a beautiful medium rare. However, you can overdo it - don't go too long, or you'll be left with mushy meat!
Calories: 142kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 531mg, Potassium: 238mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 116IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @chel.seacole on Instagram or tag #aducksoven.