If you only prepare leg of lamb for holidays and other special occasions, you'll want to turn it into an everyday meal once you read our guide, how to cook leg of lamb. In addition to tips on selecting and storing lamb properly, the guide provides several cooking methods and recipe variations.

• Made popular by international cuisine from Greece, Turkey and areas in the Middle East, lamb is relished for its tender, succulent meat.World's Healthiest Foods: Lamb: History Whether you prefer a grilled or slow-roasted flavor, a leg of lamb makes a dynamic presentation on the bone or served as a boneless roast.

• Improve the flavor and texture of your leg of lamb dishes by starting with meat that fresh and tender.

1. Choose lamb shanks with firm flesh, an indication of tenderness.World's Healthiest Foods: Lamb: How to Select and Store

2. Buy lamb that has a deep pink color with white fat marbled throughout the meat.Clemson University: Safe Handling of Lamb: Selecting The Best

3. Avoid lamb that is dark red since it will be less tender.About.com: How to Select the Best Cut of Lamb

4. Find lamb labeled "Prime" or "Choice" to ensure it's tender and full of flavor.World's Healthiest Foods: Lamb: How to Select and Store

5. If you're buying packaged lamb, ensure the package has no punctures and that the lamb feels cold.World's Healthiest Foods: Lamb: How to Select and Store

1. Avoid cross contamination by keeping the raw lamb shanks in a plastic bag to catch any drips.Clemson University: Safe Handling of Lamb: Selecting The Best
2. Refrigerate the lamb as soon as possible if you aren't going to cook it right away. Store it for up to five days in the original packaging.Clemson University: Safe Handling of Lamb: Selecting The Best
3. Freeze lamb for up to nine months by tightly wrapping it in foil or freezer bags.World's Healthiest Foods: Lamb: How to Select and Store
   • -Make sure to freeze within four days of its purchase to maintain freshness.Clemson University: Safe Handling of Lamb: Selecting The Best

• Cooking Instructions

1. Soak the leg of lamb in marinade for at least eight hours.Epicurious: Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb (May 2006)
2. Let the lamb rest at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before grilling.About.com: Leg of Lamb
3. Heat the grill to medium hot if using charcoal or moderate if using a gas grill.Epicurious: Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb (May 2006)
4. Grill for 30 to 35 minutes, turning occasionally.BBC Food: Barbecued Leg of Lamb
   • -Baste with the marinade, if desired.BBC Food: Barbecued Leg of Lamb
5. Let the lamb rest under a tent of foil for about 20 minutes before serving.Epicurious: Grilled Marinated Leg of Lamb (May 2006)

• Grilled Leg of Lamb Recipes

1. Try slow grilling for extra juicy lamb.Real Simple: Slow Grilled Leg of Lamb (June 2003)
2. Use limeade concentrate and white wine to add a tart flavor to the grilled lamb.All Recipes: Lime Glazed Leg of Lamb
3. Use a rub of Herbes de Provence.Martha Stewart: Grilled Leg of Lamb Rubbed with Herbes de Provence
4. Grill with garlic, sherry and balsamic vinegar.Recipezaar: Garlic Grilled Leg of Lamb
   • YouTube Video: Wegman's Grilled Butterflied Half Leg of Lamb (Time: 3:22)

• This versatile cut of lamb can be cooked on the grill and in the oven or even treated as a boneless roast. The following are basic cooking methods, times and temperatures with specific recipe variations for each method provided below.

• Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.Chow: Roast Leg of Lamb in an Herb Crust
2. Coat the lamb with a seasoning mixture.Food and Wine: Roast Leg of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce (January 2008)
3. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F.Chow: Roast Leg of Lamb in an Herb Crust
4. Continue roasting, about 20 minutes per pound.All Recipes: Leg of Lamb
   • -You can also check for medium-rare doneness by ensuring the meat thermometer reads about 145 degrees F.Epicurious: Herbed Roast Leg of Lamb
5. Let stand under a foil tent for 15 minutes before serving.Epicurious: Herbed Roast Leg of Lamb

• Roasted Leg of Lamb Recipes

1. Cut slits into the meat and stuff with garlic to infuse the lamb with more flavor.All Recipes: Leg of Lamb 2
2. Encrust the lamb with an olive paste before roasting.Food and Wine: Green Olive and Lemon Crusted Leg of Lamb (November 2007)
3. Coat the leg of lamb with an apricot mustard glaze to create a crispy coating.Recipezaar: Apricot Mustard Glazed Leg of Lamb
4. Dijon mustard and lemon zest give the leg of lamb a little zip.All Recipes: Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary
5. Create a Greek-style leg of lamb with potatoes.Recipezaar: Greek Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes
   • YouTube Video: how-to-make-roast-leg-of-lamb (Time: 2:40)

• Cooking Instructions

1. Coat the leg of lamb with a paste or a marinade for flavor.Martha Stewart: Roast Leg of Lamb Simply Recipes: Roast Leg of Lamb (April 13, 2006)
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.All Recipes: Easy Roast Leg of Lamb
3. Place the roast in a rack inside a roasting pan.Martha Stewart: Roast Leg of Lamb
   • -Cook the roast with the side with the most fat side up.Simply Recipes: Roast Leg of Lamb (April 13, 2006)
4. Bake for 45 minutes and then lower the temperature to 325 degrees F.All Recipes: Easy Roast Leg of Lamb
5. Continue to bake until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees F for medium or 170 degrees F for well done.All Recipes: Easy Roast Leg of Lamb
6. Remove the lamb roast and let it rest at least 10 minutes before serving.Martha Stewart: Diane's Roast Lamb

• Boneless Leg of Lamb Recipes

1. Try roasting the lamb directly on the oven rack instead of in a roasting pan.Simply Recipes: Roast Leg of Lamb (April 13, 2006)
2. Coat with olive oil, rosemary, parsley and thyme for a classic presentation.Recipezaar: Boneless Leg of Lamb
3. Use spices like oregano and garlic to create a roast with an Italian flavor.All Recipes; Italian Leg of Lamb
4. Try stuffing a lamb roast with plums, currants, almonds and mint for flavor and a "wow" factor.All Recipes: Stuffed Leg of Lamb with Balsamic Fig Basil Sauce
5. Create a fragrant roast with ingredients like fennel seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds.Recipezaar: Aromatic Leg of Lamb
   • YouTube Video: Lunds and Byerly's Boneless Leg of Lamb with Red Wine Butter Sauce (Time: 2:06)

• All Recipes: Leg of Lamb with Raspberry Sauce

• BBC Food: Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

• BBC Food: Honey Roasted Spicy Leg of Lamb

• Chow: Lamb Chops with an Olive and Herb Crust

• Epicurious: Roast Leg of Lamb on a Bed of Potatoes

• 
  

• Introduction
• Buying Fresh Lamb
  • Selection
  • Storage
• Cooking Leg of Lamb
  • Grilling
  • Oven Roasting
  • Roasting Boneless Leg of Lamb
• Additional Recipes