Roasted American Lamb Sandwiches with Poached Pears and Goat Cheese

From: Chef Michael Scott Castell, Brenner's Steakhouse, Houston. Yield: 12 servings.

5-6 lb. American Lamb leg, boned, trimmed and trussed

¼ cup sherry

¼ cup lemon juice

3 oz. yellow onion, small dice

¾ oz. fresh thyme leaves

¾ oz. fresh basil leaves

½ oz. fresh rosemary leaves

½ oz. fresh tarragon leaves

1 Tbsp. garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. cane syrup

1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

Provence Salt:

1 lb. kosher salt

2 oz. pepper, ground

2 oz. granulated garlic

1-⅓ oz. dry lemon peel, ground

⅔ oz. dried thyme, ground

⅔ oz. dried rosemary, ground

⅔ oz. dried oregano, ground

⅔ oz. dried marjoram, ground

⅔ oz. dried basil, ground

Poached Pears:

6 Bosc pears

1 cup port wine

1 cup cabernet wine

1 cup granulated sugar

24 slices French boule, toasted

24 oz. goat cheese, softened

12 oz. roasted garlic Dijon aioli

6 cups spring mix

For marinade: Combine sherry, lemon juice, onion, thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, garlic, cane syrup, mustard and salt. Use immersion blender to make marinade smooth. Add oil in a stream, allowing marinade to emulsify. Pat lamb dry and rub with marinade. Let sit for 2 hours. Evenly coat roast with Provence salt as needed, and place on roasting rack.

Roast lamb in 350°F oven for 1½ to 2 hours, rotating every 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for desired degree of doneness: 145°F for medium-rare, 160°F for medium, or 170°F for well. Once cooled, partially remove the trussing and place lamb leg on meat slicer. Use the #2 setting to slice meat removing truss as needed. Portion into 5-oz. packs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until needed.

For Provence salt: Combine all ingredients in stainless steel bowl. Store unused salt in jar with tight-fitting lid.

For poached pears: Remove peel from pears and reserve. Combine wines and sugar in pan; cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add pears and skins, and cook over low heat for 1 hour, turning pears frequently. Cool pears and skins in mixture. Remove skins and pears; discard skins. Slice pears in half and remove cores. Slice each pear into 12 slices. Place pear slices back into wine mixture. Refrigerate until needed.

To prepare sandwich: Spread 2 ounces goat cheese on bottom slice of sandwich. Spread 1 ounce roasted garlic Dijon aioli on the top slice of each sandwich. Arrange 5 oz. sliced lamb on goat cheese. Top with ½ cup spring mix and 6 pear slices. Top with second piece of bread and cut on the diagonal.