Baron or Pair of Hind-quarters of Mutton

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy roasting pan at least 18 by 14 inches (45 by 35 cm)
• •Low roasting rack
• •Butcher’s twine
• •Instant-read or probe thermometer
• •Large carving board with a juice groove
• •Sharp carving knife and boning knife
• •Large oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape and truss

   Set the baron on a large board and inspect the butcher’s work. Remove any loose, thick knobs of fat beneath the saddle, but leave a thin, even outer covering on young lamb. If a papery membrane remains over the saddle, slit it at 1-inch (2.5 cm) intervals without cutting into the meat. Draw the shortened flanks over the fillets so their edges meet without overlapping, then bind the baron firmly in five or six places, spacing the loops about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the salt, then season the entire joint with the remaining salt and all the pepper. Leave it uncovered for 45 minutes while you prepare the oven. The meat need not become warm throughout, but its surface must be dry.

   Ask the butcher for the cut by anatomy, not merely by name: the saddle, pelvis, and both legs must remain in one piece. Two separate legs are not a baron, and a double has no saddle.
2. 2

   Ready potatoes and oven

   Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C), or 425°F (220°C) with convection, with a rack in the lower third. Put the potatoes in cold water with 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved salt, bring them to a boil, and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain thoroughly, shake them in the pan to roughen their surfaces, then coat them with 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of the butter. Set a low roasting rack inside a heavy pan large enough to hold the baron without bending either leg.

3. 3

   Roast by temperature

   Rub the baron with 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of softened butter and place it on the rack with the legs toward the hotter rear of the oven. Roast for 25 minutes, until the surface begins to take a strong bronze colour. Lower the oven to 350°F (180°C), rotate the pan, and scatter the potatoes beneath and around the rack. Continue roasting for 70 to 90 minutes, basting the meat and turning the potatoes every 25 minutes. If the fond on the pan floor darkens past hazelnut brown, trickle in hot water a tablespoon at a time so it does not burn. Begin checking early: insert the thermometer into the centre of the saddle and the deepest part of each leg without touching bone. If the saddle reaches 135 to 138°F (57 to 59°C) while either leg remains below 140°F (60°C), cover only the saddle with a loose double layer of foil and continue roasting. Ça se rattrape: the shield slows the tender saddle while the legs catch up. Remove the baron when the coolest leg reads 140 to 142°F (60 to 61°C) and the saddle remains below 140°F (60°C).

4. 4

   Rest without rushing

   Transfer the baron to the carving board and cover it loosely with foil. Rest for 35 to 40 minutes; a joint this large needs the full pause for its juices to settle. After 15 minutes, check that the cooler leg has reached 145°F (63°C). If it stalls below that point, shield the saddle again, return the joint to the 350°F (180°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, and rest it for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, test the potatoes. If they are pale, raise the oven to 425°F (220°C) and roast them in the pan for another 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until deeply golden.

5. 5

   Make the pan jus

   Lift the potatoes from the roasting pan and keep them warm. Pour off the lamb fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon and every brown speck of fond behind. Set the pan across two burners over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups (355 ml / 355 g) of the hot water, and scrape the pan thoroughly. Simmer until the jus de rôti, the natural roasting juices, reduces to about 3/4 cup (180 ml) and tastes concentrated but not salty. Strain it, then whisk in the final cold tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of butter away from the heat. If the jus looks greasy, skim it first and whisk in a spoonful of cold water until it comes together. This is a light spoonful for the meat, not a heavy sauce laid over the vegetable garnish.

6. 6

   Bind the green garnish

   Bring a wide pan of water to a boil. Add the broad beans and cook for 3 minutes, then add the petits pois and cook for another 2 minutes, just until both are tender and vividly green. Drain them very well and return them to the dry pan with the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of butter and the last 1/2 teaspoon of reserved salt. Toss over gentle heat until the vegetables are liés au beurre, bound with butter into a glossy, cohesive garnish. If water pools beneath them, raise the heat briefly and keep tossing until it evaporates.

7. 7

   Present and carve

   Remove every piece of string and place the baron whole on a large warm oval platter. Ring it generously with the bronzed potatoes, then spoon the buttered peas and broad beans into the spaces between them. Present the joint before carving, because its whole shape is part of the occasion. Move it back to the board, release each leg through its natural hip joint, and carve the leg meat across the grain. Run the knife down each side of the saddle backbone to lift the loins, then slice them crosswise. Cut only what the table will eat so the remaining meat stays juicy. Pass the jus separately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order the baron from a proper butcher several days before the meal. Ask for the smallest whole cut available, with the outer fell removed, the underlying saddle fat trimmed, and the flanks left long enough to meet over the fillets. Have the butcher leave it unstrung if you want to learn the shaping yourself.
• •Use a thermometer in both the saddle and each leg. These are different muscles joined into one splendid but inconvenient roast, and the clock cannot tell you which has finished first. Protect the saddle with foil when it gets ahead.
• •Frozen petits pois and broad beans are the honest pantry choice outside their season. They were picked tender and sweet, while tired fresh pods give you starch and tough skins. Peel large broad beans after thawing if the pale outer skins resist a bite.
• •Resist a thick gravy. The source places vegetable garnishes beside mutton relevés and warns that sauced garnishes do not suit them nearly as well. A small jug of jus made from the roasting fond gives moisture without burying the lamb.
• •A structured Médoc has enough freshness and tannin for the roast and its buttered garnish. Chill leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for up to 3 days; carve them cold, or reheat slices gently under foil with a spoonful of jus.

Advance Preparation

• •Order the baron several days ahead so the butcher can preserve the saddle, both legs, and sufficient flank in one compact joint.
• •The baron may be trimmed, trussed, and salted up to 24 hours before roasting. Refrigerate it uncovered so the surface dries, then take it out 45 minutes before cooking.
• •The potatoes may be parboiled and roughened up to 6 hours ahead. Cool and refrigerate them, then coat them with butter before they enter the roasting pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 850g)