Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
You won’t believe how simple Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder is. Yes, it does take four hours to cook, but you really can just put it in the oven and forget about it. This is a classic roast lamb dish although, with meat this tender, you won’t even need a carving knife.
When you make this fabulous Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder, subtly flavoured with rosemary and garlic, you’ll get some enticing smells coming from your oven.
But you must resist the temptation to dig in early. Make sure you give your lamb shoulder the full four hours. It’s that long, slow cook that will give you beautifully soft, tender meat. I don’t even bother with a carving knife, I just pull the meat part with two forks.
THE LAMB
For this recipe I used a half shoulder of lamb, but it was a fairly big one that weighed around 1.6 kg. Shoulders will naturally vary in size, but don’t get too hung up about that. Just follow the recipe at the end of this post, checking for doneness after three hours and then four.
My lamb came from Troutsdale Farm in the Staffordshire Moorlands, where I live. The lamb produced at Troutsdale is very special as its from Shropshire breed sheep. Shropshires are the oldest breed of pedigree sheep and produce excellent, rich flavoured meat.
I bought a lamb box, containing half a mature lamb (sometimes called hoggett) from Troutsdale Farm. It’s in the freezer and I’ve been steadily working my through it. This Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb was the first meal I made from it and, with the relatively few ingredients used, this recipe showcased the natural flavour of the meat beautifully.
One advantage of buying a lamb box is that you get every bit of the lamb, including bones. This meant that, after roasting the bones to intensify the flavour, I was able to make stock in my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. I used some of that stock to make a mint gravy to accompany the roasted lamb.
CLICK HERE TO READ MY POST ABOUT TROUTSDALE FARM’S SHROPSHIRE BREED LAMB
EASY SLOW ROASTED LAMB
There’s no fancy method to making Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder. A quick slashing of a criss-cross pattern across the top of the lamb will help to render the fat. After that, it’s simply seasoned with salt and pepper and anointed with olive oil.
The only other ingredients needed are some garlic cloves and lots of rosemary sprigs. The rosemary bush in my garden is a monster, so I’m never short of this aromatic herb. Also, my lamb box from Troutsdale Farm came with a huge bunch of rosemary and mint so there was no shortage on that score.
The shoulder of lamb sits on a bed of rosemary and garlic cloves with another lot sitting on top. To prevent these burning, I like to give them a coating of olive oil too.
After that, it’s just a matter of sealing well with foil and popping in the oven. The lamb should be soft and delicious after 4 hours. If your shoulder, or half shoulder, is at the lower end of the weight range shown in the recipe card at the end of this post, you might want to check how things are going after 3 hours.
You’ll know when the Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder is perfectly cooked as the blade bone will just slip cleanly out of the meat when you give it a gentle tug. If it doesn’t slide out, give the meat another 30 minutes’ cooking and check again. If you want to brown the surface a little more, increase the oven temperature and pop the lamb back in, uncovered, for 5 – 10 minutes.
SERVING SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER
After resting for a short while, you’ll be able to shred the meat with two forks. Of course, if you prefer, you can slice it or cut into chunky pieces.
Slow roasting produces wonderfully moist meat, but you can make a sauce or gravy with the juices plus some lamb or chicken stock. I’ve given basic details of how to do this in the recipe at the end of the post along with suggestions for how to flavour it such as redcurrant jelly or the garlic cloves you cooked with the meat.
I added lots of chopped mint to a simple gravy and served the meat with greens and boiled potatoes.
There were only two of us eating this Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder, so there was plenty left to pop in the freezer for another day.
Be imaginative with your leftovers; you don’t have to replicate the same meal. Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder would be a good substitute for the brisket of beef I used in my recipes for Flatbread Wrap with Soured Cream, Pickled Chillies & Chilli Sauce or Vietnamese-style Pho with Vegetable Noodles.
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder
An easy, classic roast lamb recipe that produces meat so tender you won't even need a carving knife, just pull apart with two forks.
Ingredients
- 18-24 sprigs rosemary left whole
- 1-2 bulbs garlic separated into cloves, unpeeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 - 2 kg shoulder of lamb
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to its highest setting, with a rack in the middle position.
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Take a large roasting tin and put half the rosemary and half the garlic bulbs in it. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil then, using your hands mix everything together so the herbs and garlic are coated in oil.
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Using a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern on the top, fatty side, of the lamb shoulder without cutting down into the meat.
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Put the lamb on top of the rosemary and garlic already in the tin.
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Season the lamb with salt and pepper then drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil over it. Using your fingers, rub the seasoning and oil into the lamb.
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Strew the remaining rosemary and garlic over the lamb and drizzle with the final tablespoon of olive oil.
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Tightly cover the roasting tin with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 180C /160 Fan / 350F / Gas 4.
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Put the lamb into the oven and slow-roast for 4 hours. If your shoulder is at the lower end of the suggested weight shown in the list of ingredients, you may wish to check if it's cooked after 3 hours.
The lamb is ready if you can pull the bone easily out of the joint and it comes away cleanly with no meat attached.
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If you want to brown the outside of the meat a little more, increase the oven temperature and put the lamb back in, uncovered, until done to your liking (5-10 minutes).
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When the meat is cooked, transfer to a warm plate, cover and rest for a minimum of 10 minutes.
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To serve, use two forks to shred the meat.
Optional accompaniments
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While the lamb is cooking, remove some of the fat released and use it to make crispy roast potatoes.
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Make a gravy:
- while the lamb is resting, discard the rosemary and set the garlic cloves aside.
- pour off most of the fat and keep for another use (e.g. roast potatoes)
- add 1 tbsp of flour to the juices and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes
- gradually add enough lamb or chicken stock, stirring constantly, to make a smooth sauce. Cook 5-10 minutes then check seasoning.
- squeeze the soft contents of the garlic cloves into the sauce if liked and/or add finely chopped mint, and/or redcurrant jelly.
Recipe Notes
Leftovers are good in wraps or in soups.
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