Ingredients (for 6 persons)


Approx. 1.7 kg boneless leg of lamb
(best to have them tied by the butcher)
Salt, pepper

For the marinade:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 sage leaves
• 6 sprigs of lemon thyme
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  
  

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 kg bones, parures...
• 1 carrot
• 1 piece of celeriac
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 250 ml dry red wine
• 1 l lightly salted stock
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• to taste: Thyme and/or rosemary sprigs
• 1 tbsp cornflour
  
  
  

In addition:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2-3 handfuls of organic meadow hay
• a few sprigs of rosemary and lemon thyme
  

The day before:

For the Marinade Finely chop the herbs and mix with the garlic and olive oil. Rub the leg of lamb with salt and pepper and brush evenly with the marinade. Wrap in a freezer bag and leave to rest overnight in the fridge.

For the Sauce Chop the bones, wash, clean and roughly dice the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the bones well. Add the vegetables and brown while stirring. Pour off the fat, add the tomato purée and fry.

Deglaze with a third of the red wine. Reduce the drippings completely and deglaze again with wine. Repeat once more. Pour in the stock. Add the spices and garlic and simmer for approx. 2-3 hours. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and reduce. Season to taste and thicken with cornflour if desired.

The next day:
Remove the meat from the fridge in good time. It should be at room temperature.

Heat the Merklinger to approx. 200°C.

For a portion of roast flavor, heat the olive oil in a roasting pan and sear the leg of lamb well on all sides.
Remove the meat and set aside. (You can also place the marinated leg of lamb on the bed of hay without roasting it first).

Put the hay in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under running water.

Line the bottom of the roaster with the damp hay. Place the leg of lamb on top, arrange the sprigs of herbs around it and cover with the remaining hay.

Place the lid on top or cover tightly with aluminum foil and place the roasting pan on the firebrick.

The Merklinger should now be heated to approx. 180-200°C. The total cooking time is approx. 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Do not open the lid during this time.

After about 40 minutes, reduce the heat to approx. 100 °C. When cooked through, the core temperature should be 70-75 °C. At a core temperature of 60-62 °C, the meat is tender pink.

Remove the roast, remove the hay and leave to rest for approx. 5-10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with the side dishes.

It goes well with Hasselback potatoes with wild garlic pesto, green asparagus, white bread and, of course, the sauce.

Tip:
It is best to put the bread in first, then cook the lamb and later add the potatoes and asparagus. This way, the entire feast comes out of the Merklinger.