Bacon-Wrapped Leg of Lamb with Red Wine Reduction

Smoky bacon adds flavor and juiciness to a lovely roast leg of lamb served with a red wine pan sauce. It's a perfect Easter main dish.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 442 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 small onion, minced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 (4 pound) leg of lamb
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• 0.5 cup dry red wine

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Step 2

Trim excess fat and thin membrane from leg of lamb; place into roasting pan. Cut slits in the meat and insert garlic slivers into slits. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, and rosemary in a small bowl; brush mixture over lamb. Lay bacon slices onto the meat. Let roast stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Roast lamb in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg, not touching bone, reads 145 degrees F (65 degrees C) for medium-rare or 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) for medium, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Transfer lamb to a serving platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand while you make the sauce.

Step 4

Skim and discard excess grease from pan drippings left in roasting pan; place roasting pan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in drippings until translucent, about 5 minutes; pour in wine. Stir wine and pan drippings, scraping up and dissolving brown bits of food stuck on the bottom of the pan. Pour in stock, bring sauce to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Stir tomato paste into sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook until sauce has reduced to about 1 cup. Season with salt and black pepper. For a smoother sauce, strain before serving.