Castilian roast lamb
Cordero asado
- Author
- Equipo Cocinoa
- Preparation time
- 4 hr
- Servings
- 6
Summary
A medium-difficulty recipe for 6 servings. It takes about 4 hours to make. It is gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free.
A leg of lamb roasted the Castilian way in an earthenware dish with nothing but water, lard, garlic and salt: slowly at first so it turns tender, then hot to crisp the skin. With roast potatoes, it is Christmas lunch in Castile.
Ingredients
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1.5 kg Potato (for roasting)Original: 1500 g
- 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for the potatoes)
- 40 g Lard (or 4 tablespoons of olive oil)
- 1 u Lamb Leg (about 2 kg, or 2 shoulders of milk-fed lamb, 1 kg each)
- 1 tablespoon Coarse Salt (for the meat and the potatoes)
- 250 ml Water (hot)
Amounts are shown in your preferred measurement system; conversions are approximate and the original recipe is kept.
Instructions
Take the meat out of the fridge an hour beforehand so it comes to room temperature and roasts evenly.
60 min
Preheat the oven to 160 °C (conventional). Crush the peeled garlic in a mortar with a little of the coarse salt and stir it into the hot water.
10 min
Season the leg with salt all over and rub it with the lard. Place it skin side down in the earthenware dish and pour the garlic water into the bottom, without wetting the top of the meat.
5 min
Roast on the middle shelf, basting with the juices every 20 minutes. If the dish runs dry, add a little hot water, never cold.
75 min
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them into large chunks, pat them dry and toss them in a tray with the oil and a little coarse salt.
10 min
Turn the leg skin side up, raise the oven to 200 °C and put the tray of potatoes in as well. Roast until the skin is golden and crisp and the meat comes away from the bone easily, and the potatoes are golden and tender; turn them halfway through.
45 min
Take the lamb out, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Carve it and serve with its juices, the potatoes and a lettuce and onion salad.
10 min
Notes
This is the festive roast of Castile and León, especially in Segovia, Valladolid, Burgos and the Ribera del Duero, where it is made with lechazo, milk-fed lamb from local breeds raised only on their mother's milk, and served at Christmas Day lunch and at big family gatherings. If you can get lechazo, use two shoulders or two legs of about 1 kg each and shorten the times: about 60 minutes at 160 °C and 25 to 30 minutes at 200 °C. For a larger leg of lamb, around 2 kg, follow the times in the recipe. The traditional recipe allows nothing else: water, salt, lard and garlic at most; some cooks add a splash of white wine or a few drops of vinegar to the water, and if you would rather not use lard, use 4 tablespoons of olive oil. An earthenware dish spreads the heat gently but does not like sudden changes in temperature: don't put it directly on the hob, don't set it down hot on a cold or wet surface, and always add hot water, never cold. It is served with a lettuce and onion salad, which balances the richness. Plan for the day: order the meat one or two weeks ahead; in the morning, peel and cut the potatoes and keep them in cold water. Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge with their juices, and up to two months in the freezer; reheat covered in a low oven with a little water.
More information
Guide indicatorsDifficulty, quality and data reliability
Guide indicators
- Estimated difficulty48/100
- Recipe completeness65/100
- Nutrition reliability
- Medium
Calculated automatically from the ingredients, steps, time and community feedback. They are not a guarantee.
StorageKeeps 3 days in the fridge
Frequently asked questions
- How long does Castilian roast lamb take to make?
- It takes about 4 hours in total.
- Which allergens does Castilian roast lamb contain?
- Going by its ingredients, it contains none of the 14 allergens that must be declared in the EU. Always check the labels of the products you use.
- How long does Castilian roast lamb keep in the fridge?
- Up to 3 days in the fridge, in a closed container. It can also be frozen.
- Which diets is this recipe suitable for?
- It is gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free.
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