Everybody is familiar with lamb chops and leg of lamb—but how about the shoulder? When is that used? Well, here I give you the recipe for a roasted lamb shoulder—and you will see why it is my favorite cut for roasting. The meat is sweeter on the blade bone, and, with lots of cartilage to melt during roasting, the meat is finger-sticking good. You might not get a clean, precise cut of meat from the shoulder, but it will be delicious.
Ingredients
使6份
Recommended Equipment:
Step 1
Trim most of the fat from the chops, leaving only a very thin layer on the outside surfaces. With your fingers, pull apart each chop, roughly in half, along the natural break lines between the muscles.
Step 2
Put the meat in a large bowl with all of the remaining ingredients except the stock. Toss well to distribute all the seasonings, and submerge the meat in the marinade. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the meat occasionally.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the meat chunks in the roasting pan, spread the marinade all around them, and pour in the stock. Cover the pan with a tent of aluminum foil, and press it firmly against the sides. Pierce a few slits in the foil as steam vents.
Step 4
Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, basting and turning the meat every 30 minutes or so. After the first hour, remove the foil, and continue roasting uncovered. As the pan liquid evaporates and the meat starts to caramelize, baste and turn more frequently. If the meat seems to be drying quickly, reduce the oven temperature. When the meat is very tender and nicely browned all over, and the pan juices have reduced by half, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the meat chunks to a warm platter.
Step 5
To make the sauce, mash all the vegetables in the roasting pan, using a potato masher or a big spoon. Stir the pan juices around the sides and bottom of the pan to deglaze all the tasty caramelized bits. Pour everything into a sturdy wire-mesh sieve set over a bowl or large measuring cup. Press on the vegetables, releasing their juices, and force them through the sieve, scraping the pure into the bowl to thicken and flavor the sauce. Skim the fat from the surface, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Step 6
When you are ready to serve, pour about half the sauce into a large skillet, along with the lamb pieces and any meat juices in the platter. Heat slowly to a simmer, turning the meat over and over until it is heated through. Return the meat to the platter, and drizzle over it the thickened sauce from the skillet. Serve right away, passing the remaining sauce at the table.
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Reviews (25)
Back to TopVery good. Used 4lbs sliced lamb shoulder. 2 cups of sauvignon blanc, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp Bell poultry rub (it's mostly sage) everything else the same. Keep a close eye on it. Don't let it go dry.I added more stock as needed at the very end.
Sureican
San Lorenzo, CA
6/15/2020
I followed the recipe as written except at the end I did not make the sauce. I just served the vegetables and a few spoons of pan liquids. It is amazing. We couldn't stop eating this. Love, Love, Love!
raynfigi
Southampton, NY
4/17/2017
I forgot to mention , I switched the cinammon with cumin and added 4 twigs of fresh thyme
denisthemenace
France
9/27/2014
I don't know why the last person did not get it. Just made it with a 4lbs shoulder of lamb from New Zealand. Just changed and put only 2 cups of stocks for the 1st hour of cooking. then added 1 3/4 cups after the 1st hour. and cooked for 2 hrs and 15 minutes since smaller. I have pics. This is phenomenal, melts in your mouth, golden brown color, etc...definitely will cook it again. Make sure your basting is done every 30 minutes. after the 1st hour basted every 15 minutes for the next 1 hour and tued over each 30 minutes.
denisthemenace
France
9/27/2014
I made this recipe for a dinner party for 8 (with 1.5 times the recipe) and almost had a disaster. It would be helpful if the recipe would say how much liquid should be in the pan in relation to the meat -- e.g. "until it half covers the meat" or whatever it's supposed to be. Mine was covered with liquid the entire baking time. So it came out of the marinade an unappetizing grey, and then came out of the oven even more grey, tasting of and with a texture like boiled meat. It looked nothing like the photograph. [My advice is use the liquid sparingly until it half covers the meat, check and add as needed, and take it out when it looks browned and done.] I did not go to the last step as turning the meat on the stove in the sauce didn't seem like it would help. In a panic, I called a friend who writes cookbooks with celebrity chefs. On her recommendation, I steamed some carrot rounds and added them to the meat -- for color. I browned the meat (in oil), deglazed the pan with a little of the marinade / cooking liquid, poured that on the meat, reduced the rest of the sauce in a pot, added lots of salt and HONEY (mine was too sour, perhaps because I used half white wine vinegar when the red ran out), individually plated it with fresh rosemary, and (THE BEST PART) called it "lamb brisket with a mediterranean jus". No one raved, but everyone ate what they were served. I have a feeling this could be really good, but I'm not going to find out.
Anonymous
NY, NY
11/4/2012
If you follow this receive it is perfect. I have read the lesser reviews and I believe a step has been missed in each. There is a stage where the lamb is in a lot of liquid but the recipe states that the liquid should be boiled off. I did not have a press purée so I used a blender. It was perfect. I used 3.5 lbs for 7 people and there was not a scrap left. We had fresh hot biscuits with this and my American friends loved it.
Kevote
Seattle
10/22/2012
This was very good, but not as great as I had expected based on the reviews. Maybe it needed more salt, or I just didn't use enough herbs, or something. I might make it again, but I'm not going to go out of my way for it.
lynnhoenke
Grand Rapids, MI
2/20/2012
This recipe probably would be fine as written. I used moose shoulder roast and I think it needed a few more hours...was a little on the tough side. I also was unable to marinate it for 24 hours which would have helped. Think I will try this in the slow cooker next time.Also maybe add some bacon fat (if using moose).
blonke
Calgary, AB
11/3/2011
I extended this recipe to accommodate 14 guests. Don't know what went wrong, as I perfectly followed the recipe. I consider myself an accomplished cook but this dish didn't show it!! The combination of broth and marinade created a gigantic pool of liquid. It was as if the meat was swimming and never had the opportunity to really cook down, instead it over cooked. Lots of work for lots of disappointment. Maybe I should try it again for a small group. ah well......
delspina
Purdys
4/26/2011
This is a GOURMET recipe!! I used on 2.25 pounds of lamb for my husband and myself for our empty-nest Easter dinner. I cut all ingredients to 1/3 of the recipe. I followed the marinade directions 24 hours ahead, just as instructed. If I were doing this for 6 people with the larger amount of lamb, I think this would be a challenge. I was nervous about the 425 oven for 2 1/2 hours. I used my blue enameled roast pan with lid, and kept the lid ajar for the first hour. I pulled it out at 30 minutes to turn the pieces. After 1 hour, I turned the oven down to 375 and removed the lid. BTW, the cinnamon makes the dish smell so wonderful! Then, after the next 30 minutes at 375, the lamb pieces looked brown. So, short of the 2 1/2 hours of the recipe, I removed it from the oven and used my meat thermometer to check the internal temp. Pressing the veggies into the gravy was excellent! I used a turkey stock in the pan. No additonal seasoning was necessary. My husband RAVED over this! He opened a Syrah and said this meal was better than anything we could have had in Pasadena for $50 or more. I served asparagus on the side. We took a hike before enjoying strawberry shortcake for dessert.
lkiewiet
Altadena, CA
4/25/2011
Very tasty - I did not have a sieve so i just removed fat and mashed about 1/2 the veggies into a puree to serve with the meat- it was great!
Dorydan
4/2/2011
Followed the directions and it came out perfectly.I think letting it marinate for at least 24 hours is key. Put the vegetables thru a food mill and the sauce was delicious. You won't have any leftovers.
koaboy
CA
5/2/2010
Followed the recipe, except that I only added about a tablespoon of oil for the marinade and I only added about a half a cup of homemade beef broth. Plenty of sauce left after nearly 3 hours of cooking. VERY DELICIOUS and sooo easy to make. Will make again!
natsavy
Montreal, QC
8/26/2009
This didn't work out for me. I'm sure that I carry the blame, because others had great success with it. I don't like the fact that the meat was basically stewing in the broth. I was surprised that it was not pan seared first. I found the flavor bland and the texture unpleasant.
Anonymous
CT
3/28/2009
This dish was a big hit...and there are no leftovers. I made a smaller version with 5 lamb shoulder steaks cut thinner than the recipe calls for. It was perhaps 3 pounds total. To compensate I cooked it about an hour and a half, removing the foil after 30 minutes. I didn't note the reduction of the sauce and glazing of the meat at the end at first reading. This was an important step, making for an exceptionally flavorful dish my partner said was the best lamb she has ever eaten. I served it with mashed sweet potatoes.
blueberrykidd
Minnesota
2/15/2009
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