Lechazo / Cordero Asado
The pride of the Ribera del Duero: milk-fed baby lamb roasted slowly in a wood-fired clay oven with almost nothing added, so the meat stays impossibly tender and the skin crackles to gold. Its whole philosophy is restraint, letting superb lamb speak for itself.
Approximate, per 1 quarter of lamb (~250g roast lamb). Values vary by recipe and portion.
Ingredients
- ·1 half or quarter of milk-fed lamb (lechazo), about 1.5 kg, in large pieces
- ·80 g pork lard
- ·250 ml water
- ·Coarse salt
- ·1 head of garlic (optional, for the roasting dish)
- ·A splash of white wine (optional)
Method
- 1
Rub the lamb pieces all over with softened lard and season generously with coarse salt.
- 2
Lay them skin-side down in a shallow earthenware or heavy roasting dish and pour the water into the base, not over the meat.
- 3
Roast in an oven preheated to 160 C for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, keeping the heat gentle and steady so the meat cooks through slowly.
- 4
Turn the pieces skin-side up, baste them with the pan juices, and if the water has evaporated top it up so the base never dries out and burns.
- 5
Raise the temperature to 200 C for the final 20 to 30 minutes to crisp and colour the skin to a deep golden brown.
- 6
Check for doneness: the meat should be meltingly soft and pulling easily from the bone, with crackling skin.
- 7
Rest the lamb for 10 minutes, then serve with its own juices spooned over, and a simple green salad on the side.