How to Remove a Bone From a Leg of Lamb

Lamb, garlic and thyme or rosemary make a delicious combo.

Imagine a butterflied leg of lamb marinating in vinaigrette with garlic and rosemary, then spread on a barbecue grill over hot coals. Or, imagine a deboned lamb roast stuffed with basil pesto and baked in the oven until pink and tender. Both of these dishes are within reach of anyone with a sharp knife and a bit of determination. According to James Thresher's article in The Washington Post entitled "Deboning a Leg of Lamb," you can ask a grocery-store butcher to perform the operation for you, but there's no reason you can't learn the procedure yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp, slender boning knife
• Washable cutting board

Instructions

1. Lay the leg with the fat side down on your cutting board and cut into the joint at the wide end of the leg to the femur, or leg bone. The joint end of the leg is the side without the shank bone sticking out. You will see the slippery, white, rounded ball at the end of the bone, which is the ball of the joint itself.

2. Cut and scrape the meat and fat off the ball joint using the tip of the knife and small scraping motions.

3. Grab the ball, lifting it slightly. Cut and scrape the meat from the bone and through any ligaments to release the meat from the bone.

4. Continue cutting and scraping on all sides of the femur bone as you lift it up and work your way around and down its length.

5. Cut through the cartilage at the end on the socket where the femur and the shank bone meet. Twisting the femur will help you to sever it from the shank.

6. Remove the femur and store it in the freezer for making stock, if desired.

7. Remove and discard extra bits of fat around the joint, especially one large globule of fat below the shank.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash your hands and the cutting board thoroughly to minimize bacteria growth.

• For a butterflied leg of lamb, leave the leg spread open while cooking. This method allows a marinade to penetrate all surfaces of the meat, and it cooks quickly in a broiler or on a grill.

• For a roast, roll the leg back into shape and tie with string. James Thresher starts his lamb in a 450-degree oven for 20 minutes then reduces the temperature to 350 degrees and roasts for approximately 15 minutes per pound.

• As with any meat, let the roast rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving so the juices have a chance to reincorporate into the meat.

• Thresher advises cooks to rely on temperature, not time, when determining whether the lamb is done. For a medium-rare roast, he recommends a temperature of 125 to 130 degrees.

References

• The Washington Post: Raise Your Game: Deboning a Leg of Lamb
• The Washington Post: Real Entertaining: Get To Know Your Way Around Lamb
• Academia Barilla: How to Debone a Lamb Thigh