Roasted Leg of Lamb with Lemon Confit, Mustard Greens, and Black Olive Mayonnaise
Lamb is an underappreciated and underutilized meat. It’s better for you than other red meats; it’s generally raised under healthier, more humane, and more sustainable conditions; it’s fragrant, lean, and tender; and it has that slightly funky quality that makes it interesting to work with. Here, we’ve rubbed it with chopped lemon confit and olives. While the recipe calls for oven-roasting, roasting it slowly on the grill would work beautifully, too. In keeping with the great tradition of day-after-holiday leftovers and sandwich making, we think Easter Monday is when you’ll want to be eating this one.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Finely chop 6 slices of the confit and transfer to a bowl. Add the oregano and black olives, and mix well. Rub the lamb with the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned meat, fatty side down, and reduce the heat to medium. Sear the meat until it has browned on the bottom. Scoop up any rub mixture that falls off the meat during cooking and place evenly back on top of the meat. Once the meat has the desired color, baste with the rendered fat and transfer to the oven, uncovered. Roast for about 35 minutes, until it has an internal temperature of 125°F. Remove and transfer the meat to a plate to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any excess oil from the skillet and set aside.
Step 3
Place the skillet back on the stove over medium-high heat and add the mustard greens. Season with salt and pepper and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until the greens start to wilt. Add the juices that have collected on the plate with the resting meat. Wilt the greens for another minute or so until they have absorbed the juices, and remove from the heat.
Step 4
With a sharp knife, slice the meat as thin as possible. Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and evenly spread the mayonnaise on the bottom halves. Top the mayonnaise with the meat, followed by the remaining confit and the mustard greens. Drizzle any remaining juices from the meat on top of the greens. Close the sandwiches, cut into halves, and serve.
