Sous Vide Leg of Lamb
Sous Vide Cooking
Sous Vide means "under vacuum" in French and is definitely one of my preferred methods of cooking leg of lamb. The seasoned meat is placed in a vacuum-sealed bag and heated at a precise temperature in a water bath using an immersion circulator. Once you program it to a certain degree, the meat will cook and will never reach beyond such temperature. I program my immersion circulator to 128°F to bring the lamb leg to rare (before searing it to bring it up to a perfect medium rare). I usually let my lamb cook in the water bath for four hours, but you can even cook it longer if you'd like and the temperature of the meat will always remain 128°F. The rationale behind this is that the longer the meat is in contact with the seasonings the more flavorful the meat becomes, and the slower that the meat comes up to temperature the less shrinkage you'll have, thereby producing a more pronounced lamb flavor.
Reverse-Sear
Once I am done with the sous vide cooking, I will then take the lamb and sear it on all sides to achieve the Maillard reaction in a cast iron skillet to bring it up to a perfect medium rare. This will produce a caramelized crust which of course will then provide for distinct and enhanced flavors. Browning your food always makes everything taste better!
Mint Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri originated in Argentina and has since been adopted in most latin American countries. It's classically made with parsley as the herb and lemon juice for the acid, however, my version uses red wine vinegar which provides a tasty tang and pulls out the mint flavor. Mint is a classic flavor to pair with lamb, which really makes sense, but let's stay away from that silly mint jelly that people used to serve when I worked at the country club during my early days in culinary school. Gross! Save that junk for something else!!
Sous vide leg of lamb topped with a mint chimichurri sauce.
- 1 boneless leg of lamb (about 5 lbs.) (butterflied to 3/4 inch thick)
- 2 tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil (to fry spices)
- 1 tbsp whole mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil (to sear lamb)
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
- 1/2 medium shallot (minced)
- 2 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 Fresno chili (minced)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Using a sharp knife, butterfly the lamb leg until it is about 3/4 inch thick.
Heat up a small skillet with 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and stir constantly. Fry until fragrant. Transfer spice mixture to a mortar and pesto for a quick grind to release even more flavor of the spices.
Spread the spice mixture evenly over the inside of the lamb. Then, season the meat generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Roll the leg into a roulade and secure it with butcher's twine.
Put the lamb in a cryovac bag and vacuum the air out of it and seal.
Submerge the sealed bag in a pot of water with your immersion circulator set at 128°F. Cook for four hours.
While the lamb is cooking, make the mint chimichurri sauce by combining the mint, cilantro, garlic, Fresno chili, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper (to taste) in a bowl. Let it marinate in the refrigerator while the lamb is cooking.
After four hours, take the lamb out and blot dry with a paper towel.
Heat up a cast iron skillet on high heat and add olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides for about 4 to 6 minutes. This will bring the rare lamb up to a perfect medium rare.
Carve the meat, season with an additional sprinkle of kosher salt, and top it with mint chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!