Finely chop the garlic and rosemary leaves, mix them with a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper. Rub the lamb with this mixture. Then tie the meat up, tying the leg and loin together, and put it in a roasting pan. Pour the olive oil over it and put it in the oven, but not too hot, at around 150 °C. While it’s cooking, baste the lamb frequently with its juices and then, towards the end, pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar over it and turn the heat up (to 180 °C), so the roast meat turns a nice hazelnut-brown colour. It will take at least an hour to cook. Half an hour before taking the meat out of the oven, add some potatoes cut into large pieces; cooking them in the jamb’s juices will make them delicious! Roast lamb is a very popular dish in Florence, Siena, Arezzo and the surrounding areas (and it has been so since Medieval times).

(1) The most suitable cut of lamb for this classic dish is the leg, complete with the loin and kidney.