Buying and lighting calculator · Lamb and rabbit
How much leg of lamb do I buy and when do I light?
The leg is the big cut of the lamb. In Spain it is sold whole and bone-in; a recental leg runs 2 to 3 kg, while a milk-fed lechal leg is barely over half a kilo. It is lean, fine-grained meat, so the bone and the water it gives up while cooking take a little over 40 % of what you buy. That is why we work with 340 g raw per person, which leaves about 200 g of clean meat on the plate. Timing depends mostly on thickness rather than weight: a wide leg takes longer than a long, slim one of the same kilos. In the kamado, indirect heat at around 160 °C with the deflector in works well. Put the probe in the thickest part without touching the bone, and rest the meat under foil before slicing against the grain.
How to ask for it
For 4 people: Ask for a bone-in leg of lamb of 1.5 kg; if a single leg goes past 3 kg, take two smaller ones so they finish together.
A bone-in leg loses about 42 % to bone, fat and water, leaving roughly 200 g on the plate per person. pull at 57 °C in the centre; it climbs to 63 °C while resting.
How we calculate it
We start from a reasonable cooked portion (about 200 g of meat on the plate, 170 g of cleaned fish) and convert it to raw weight using each cut's bone and trim loss. "Hungry" adds 25 %. We round up to what is actually sold: quarter kilos, whole pieces, units.
To the cook time (per kilo or per piece, at each method's temperature) we add the kamado's lighting and stabilising (20-45 min depending on the method, as on the recipe pages), the rest, and a margin for long cooks, which vary from one piece to the next. Times are approximate: your kamado, the wind and the charcoal decide; on big cuts, trust the probe.
Frequently asked questions
How much leg of lamb per person?
Bone-in, plan on about 340 g raw per person. Bone, fat and water take roughly 42 %, leaving about 200 g of clean meat on the plate. If the leg is boned and tied you need a little less, since you are no longer paying for bone. With plenty of starters you can go lower; for a single main course with hungry guests, go a little higher.
How long does a 2 kg leg of lamb take in the kamado?
At about 160 °C with indirect heat, count roughly 50 minutes per kilo: 100 minutes for 2 kg, plus the lighting. Pull it at 57 °C in the centre and rest it 20 minutes under foil; it will climb to 63 °C, the pink point. Trust the probe: a large bone or a wide leg adds time.
Bone-in or boneless leg of lamb?
Bone-in gives less meat per kilo but keeps more juice and carves well at the table. Boned and tied cooks faster and wastes less, though it dries out if you overshoot. For the kamado, bone-in is the easier option; for a small table, boneless. Either way, the internal temperature decides.
Other Lamb and rabbit cuts
Approximate figures. Sources and the portion rule are in "How we calculate it".