Few dishes say “I can cook” better than a nicely roasted piece of meat—and there is no more iconic cut for springtime than leg of lamb. A leg of lamb is ideal for stuffing with rich, flavorful ingredients that become the “eye of luxury” in each slice of the roast. The final touch of elegance in this preparation is the highly reduced and concentrated red wine coating that binds the herb-and-spice blend to the surface of the meat. Plan to serve this lamb with a wine of the same varietal used in the preparation.
Ingredients
1 bottle of inexpensive red wine
2 tablespoons whole cumin
5-pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied and trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper for assembling the roast
12 leaves fresh basil
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
2 dozen cured, pitted black olives
For the herb rub:
1 cup finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground toasted cumin
1 big pinch cayenne
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Tools
Coffee or spice grinder
Small pastry brush
Shallow baking pan with rack
Tips
Make the herb rub ahead of time.
Removing the roast from the oven: Allow the roast to rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 20 to 30 minutes. It is imperative that the meat rest for this amount of time; the first few minutes out of the oven, it will continue to cook. Remove the twine and slice the leg of lamb so that each slice has some of the stuffing in the center.
Side dish suggestions: Serve with rice, roasted potatoes or couscous.
Method
1. Reduce the wine: Pour the whole bottle of wine into a saucepan, bring to a very low simmer and reduce until there is no more than ¼ cup of liquid (this will take about an hour). The wine reduction will be thick and syrupy. Be sure to stop cooking the wine before it burns.
2. Toast the cumin: Place 2 tablespoons of whole cumin in a sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Toss frequently as the cumin heats up and starts to change color—it will be very aromatic as it toasts. Once lightly browned, remove from the pan and grind, using a spice mill, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. Assemble the roast: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the boneless leg of lamb out flat, exterior side down. Season the surface of the meat with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the freshly ground cumin.
4. Arrange the basil, goat cheese and olives down the center of the meat.
5. Roll the meat over the filling.
6. Tie the roast with kitchen twine every 2 inches, making sure the basil, olives and goat cheese stay inside.
7. Season the outside of the roast: Using a pastry brush, brush the entire outer surface of the lamb with the wine reduction.
8. Coat the outside of the wine-covered roast by rolling it in the herb rub. Finally, drizzle the coated roast with the olive oil.
9. Cook the leg of lamb: Place the roast in a 400-degree oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking the lamb until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees—this should take about an 
additional hour and 15 minutes, resulting in a roast that is rare to medium-rare.
