and is significantly firmer, juicier, moister, and more tender than either rare or medium meat • 140°F (medium): Solid rosy pink and quite firm to the touch Still moist but verging on dry The fat is fully rendered at this stage, delivering plenty of flavor • 150°F (medium-well): Pink but verging on gray The moisture level has dropped precipitously, and the texture is chewy and fibrous The fat has fully rendered and begun to collect outside the roast, carrying away flavor with it • 160°F (well-done): Dry, gray, and lifeless The moisture loss is up to 18 percent, and the fat is completely rendered Just like with beef, I personally recommend cooking lamb to at least medium-rare—it’s hot enough that the abundant fat in the meat has begun to melt, lubricating and flavoring the meat Rare lamb is tougher and less flavorful Q: So, if I’m cooking it in the oven, what temperature should I use? Just as with cooking any large piece of meat, you’ve got a decision to make right off the bat: do you want to cook hot or cool? Cooking in a high oven will obviously get dinner on the table much faster, but it’ll also result in far more uneven cooking, with the outer layers of the meat overcooking and turning gray by the time the center is done Now, I understand that some people don’t mind this I like having some juicy medium-rare meat and some tougher well-done meat on my plate, they say Those of you who feel this way should be thankful—it makes cooking roasts very easy Just bang it into a hot oven (around 400°F should do) and roast until the very center reaches the desired temperature But if you, like me, want your lamb evenly cooked from edges to center, the best thing to is slow-roast it, just as when cooking prime rib (see Perfect Roast Prime Rib, here): Place it in a 200°F oven until it is within a few degrees of your desired serving temperature (use that thermometer!) Remove it, crank the oven up as far as it will go, and let it heat up, then throw the lamb back in for about 15 minutes to crisp up the well-rendered fat layer on the exterior Q: Do I have to let my lamb rest just like beef? Just as with a steak or a beef roast, lamb muscles tighten when they’re hot As they loosen up during resting, their ability to retain their juices increases This means that more juice ends up in your meat and less on the cutting board Allow lamb roasted entirely at a high temperature to rest for at least 20 minutes after removing it from the oven, and meat roasted low-and-slow to rest for at least 10 minutes CARVING A BONE-IN LEG OF LAMB W hen you’ve got a bone-in leg of lamb, you’ll ... temperature (use that thermometer !) Remove it, crank the oven up as far as it will go, and let it heat up, then throw the lamb back in for about 15 minutes to crisp up the well-rendered fat layer on the exterior... this way should be thankful—it makes cooking roasts very easy Just bang it into a hot oven (around 400°F should do) and roast until the very center reaches the desired temperature But if you, like me, want your lamb evenly cooked from... muscles tighten when they’re hot As they loosen up during resting, their ability to retain their juices increases This means that more juice ends up in your meat and less on the cutting board Allow lamb roasted entirely at a high temperature to rest for