Rioja Roast Lamb: You Have To Try It!

Rioja Roast Lamb can be prepared in a variety of ways, depending on the piece of meat and the toppings. However, the result is always delicious!

One of the recipes for braised meat stands out above all others. There is no doubt that roasted Rioja lamb is a recipe worth trying for its delicious, traditional and unique flavor.

By reading today’s article, you will learn how to prepare this dish step by step. Thanks to this, you will achieve perfect results every time!

Traditional recipe from Rioja

Perhaps you are wondering about the commonality of braised meat with a baked dish. One of the secrets behind the preparation of this dish has to do with how the ingredients are added to it and how they translate into the final flavor.

That being said, to create a tasty and traditional roast lamb, it is necessary to go from simplicity to elaboration. Even if you know the Spanish region of Rioja and it’s the traditional dish we’re talking about, or if you’ve read the recipe on the Internet before, there are still a lot to keep in mind when you start preparing it.

Two variations of the same recipe

Some recipe books classify Rioja Roast Lamb as “an incredibly simple and practical dish.” Others, in turn, attach more complex steps and processes with more elements to a recipe, making the recipe more complicated. To prove this, we will present two versions of this recipe.

The first option is the more “classic” variety in which the meat is baked with only a few ingredients. It requires a lot of patience. Unlike the second version, this dish has a long history, numerous adaptations and even gained the approval of Ernest Hemingway himself. Yes, this American author tried and enjoyed this dish during his visit to Spain.

By presenting two ways to make the same recipe, we want to show you that you can do something similar using a different approach and ingredients.

Roasted Rioja lamb in two ways

1. A traditional recipe for roast lamb in Rioja style

This is the first way to prepare this juicy and delicious Spanish dish. It is associated with the culture and tradition of people living in the La Rioja region, who have prepared this dish for centuries using only a few ingredients.

There is one catch though:  you need a lot of patience to make this dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 thick lamb steak (about 800 g)
• 2 cubes of lard (75 g)

• 2 cups of water (500 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of coarse salt (15 g)

Preparation:

1. Start by pouring water into the large slow cooker.
2. Then add a tablespoon of coarse salt and stir.
3. Add the lamb to the pot.
4. Put the pot of lamb in a preheated wood-burning oven and bake it skin side down.
5. It will take you approximately 45 minutes. Then turn the meat over and bake it for about the same amount of time.
6. Between roasting each piece of lamb, you will need to grease the pot with lard to keep the meat from sticking to it.

2. Roasted Rioja leg of lamb

The main difference between this recipe and the previous one is the number of ingredients, including many vegetables. Nevertheless, it is similar to the previous dish.

Below you will find detailed steps to help you prepare this dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 of a medium leg of lamb (about 1 kg)
• 2 onions
• 2 seasons
• 1 large carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (45 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper (15 g)
• 2 tablespoons of coarse salt (30 g)
• 1 Rioja chorizo ​​(120 g)
• 1 cup of bacon (150 g)
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon of wheat flour (15 g)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped pepper (30 g)
• 2 stalks of fresh parsley
• 3 green peppers
• 1 tomato

Preparation:

1. At the very beginning, put a large pot with lots of water on the stove over a high heat.
2. Then put the following ingredients in the pot: leg of lamb, leek, carrot, bay leaf, pepper and salt. Boil them for 30 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat and turn it off when the meat becomes soft. Then set the pot aside.
4. Pour olive oil into the pan. Fry the bacon on a low heat until it smells nice.
5. Add the chorizo ​​diced in crescents and fry for a few minutes.
6. Try to remove as much fat as possible from the pan. Add a tablespoon of wheat flour. Then add the green peppers, tomato and finally the lamb leg stock.
7. If necessary, add a pinch of salt and pepper.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to achieve the desired thickness.
9. When the sauce is ready, pour it over a leg of lamb and put it on low heat again for about 25 minutes.
10. After 25 minutes, remove the meat from the heat. The leg is ready!

We hope you will enjoy this delicious dish!