Roast lamb is a magnificent thing. The complex flavor is bold yet delicate, the texture is a study in contrasts between the crisp, flavorful exterior and the tender, juicy interior, and the heady aroma brings a tear of joy to the eye and a bit of drool to the chin. A roast this perfect is within your grasp - in fact, it's amazingly easy, and we'll tell you just how to do it!

Choosing the Right Cut

Roasting is a "dry heat" cooking method, meaning that you do not add any liquid to the meat as you cook it. Dry heat is best for cuts of meat that are naturally tender. In the case of lamb, these cuts include the leg and the rack When you see a picture of a rack of lamb, there are usually several individual bones protruding from it. This fancy style of preparation is known as a "Frenched" rack of lamb, and the look is accomplished by trimming the fat and meat from between the ribs and scraping the bones clean; your butcher ought to be able to do this for you at your request. You can save the meat trimmings to make soup later on.

Splendidly Seasoned

Lamb is flavorful enough on its own that it doesn't need a great deal of complicated spicing or marinating to accent the flavor. Conversely, lamb's flavor is robust enough that it pairs beautifully with any number of boldly flavored seasonings. Some additions that complement lamb wonderfully are rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, mint and garlic (although not necessarily all at once!). Before seasoning the lamb, trim some of the excess fat if you like, in addition to any silver skin. Chop up your herbs and seasonings of choice and rub the mixture evenly over the surface of the meat. Wrap the coated meat tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight for the best flavor. Another popular way to season a roast is to make small incisions in the surface of the meat and push slivers of garlic and sprigs of herbs into the slits. You can do this right before you begin roasting, or do it a day ahead of time for a more intense flavor. Season the lamb however you like, but remember one important thing: Never, ever salt it until just before cooking! Salt will leach the moisture out of the meat, leaving you with a bone-dry roast.

Roasted to Perfection

Before roasting your lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 30 minutes or so. A piece of meat at room temperature will roast more evenly. It's always better to use a roasting rack to ensure even browning and heat circulation, so use one if you've got it, and buy one if you don't. The amount of fat that your piece of lamb has surrounding the outside and marbled through the middle will determine the cooking time and temperature you use. For a lean piece of meat, you'll want to put it in a blazing hot (450 degrees F) oven for the first 15 minutes or so, and then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F to continue roasting. Using this method, the meat will take about 25 minutes per pound to reach medium rare. Using a hot oven in this manner will allow leaner cuts of meat to get nicely browned on the outside before they become overcooked and dry in the middle.

Fattier pieces of meat, on the other hand, are better when roasted at a lower temperature (325 degrees F) for a longer period of time, allowing the fat to slowly melt and bathe the tender roast in its own juices. Meat cooked with this method will take about 30 minutes per pound to reach medium rare. The most accurate way to determine doneness is with a meat thermometer :110 degrees F is rare, 120 degrees F is medium-rare, and 145 degrees F is medium-well. We don't recommend that you cook your lamb beyond this temperature, or it will become dried-out and tough.

Rest Your Roast!

Once your roast is within 10 degrees F of its ideal doneness, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 or 20 minutes with a tent of foil placed very loosely over it. As the meat rests, the internal temperature will increase by a several degrees, the muscle fibers will relax, and the juice that has come to the surface of the meat during cooking will begin to return to the center. A well-rested piece of meat will be more tender, and will retain its juices better when you slice it.