Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

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I cannot think of many more iconic dishes than the classic Sunday Roast Lamb. This was a staple of my household growing up. You could guarantee that come Sunday at around 4 – 5pm those delicious roast Lamb smells would start to spread all over the house so you knew what was coming! That classic Sunday Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder with some delicious vegetables and you better believe there’ll be some gravy right there with it

Lamb in the USA

Since moving to the US what was a bit of a surprise to us was that Lamb is considered in some circles as a bit more of an exotic cut of meat compared to the classic Chicken, Beef or Pork. It can be referred to as a little bit ‘gamey’, similarly to how I would think a cut of Venison, or Bison would be described. Maybe it’s because we grew up eating Lamb, but we would never really consider Lamb to be a game meat. So if you’re a little bit cautious about Lamb, please don’t be and give it a try. We guarantee you’ll love it just as much as we do!

Lamb is such a delicious cut of meat, particularly when roasted on the bone. The best cuts for this beautiful roast are the Shoulder or the Leg. For this dish we’ll be creating a delicious, tender, beautiful Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

How to cook the perfect Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

For this recipe we’re using a large cut of meat. This one was a little over 4 lbs. in size. So, plenty of Lamb to go around to feed the whole family! Make sure your Lamb is at room temperature before you place it in the Oven. This will ensure that the whole piece of Lamb will cook evenly, and not be raw in the middle and overcooked on the outside. For a cut this large you probably want to leave it at room temperature for at least 2 hours

Once you’re ready to cook, cut several slits into the Lamb with a sharp knife. Place a peeled Garlic Clove and a piece of Rosemary into each hole. This is a great way to infuse flavor into the Lamb while it is cooking. Given it’s such a large piece of meat, this technique will ensure that the Seasoning won’t just hit the surface, but go right into the meat of the Lamb

We then roast the Lamb first at a high temperature (approx. 430F) to get the outside and any fat layers rendered and crispy. We then drop the heat to 370F and roast it until cooked. Depending on how large your cut of Lamb is will determine how long to cook for. Generally speaking, you’ll roast the Lamb for 30 minutes for every pound it weighs. Our Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder weighs 4 pounds, so that’s 2 hours of roasting

What are some of the best side dishes to serve with Show Roast Lamb Shoulder?

There’s nothing better than a Roast Dinner, complete with some delicious side dishes. Whether you’re cooking up this Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder recipe for a special occasion or holiday, or simply doing Sunday Lunch, it isn’t a complete meal without some wonderful sides

Our go-to side dishes for Roast Lamb are always the classic combination of Roast Potatoes and some Greens. Its traditional yet has never gone out of style. Probably because of how good this combination of dishes taste! We’ve got a punch of great Potato recipes here. Here’s a few of our favorites we’d recommend serving alongside your Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

• Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
• Sheet Pan Potatoes and Beans
• Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin
• Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
  
  

When it comes to greens, you’ve got so many choices. If you’re making our Sheet Pan Potatoes and Beans you’ll have those wonderful roasted Green Beans to Enjoy. Here’s a few other favorites of ours we’d suggest:

• Garlic Lemon Broccoli with Chili
• Chinese Garlic Broccolini
  
  

Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 lb. Lamb Shoulder (approx. 1.8 kg)
• 12 Garlic Cloves, peeled
• 4 Sprigs Rosemary
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Salt
• Optional: 1 lb. Roasting Vegetables
  
  

Instructions

1. First step, and very important is remove the Lamb from the fridge and bring up to room temperature before cooking. If you cook the Lamb when it is cold, the inside will cook much slower than the outside, so you’ll have an uneven cook
2. Once at room temperature, prepare the Lamb by cutting small, 1-inch holes across the top and sides. Insert a Garlic Clove and small piece of Rosemary into each hole. This is a nice little trick to help infuse the Lamb with a lovely Garlicky, Rosemary flavor
3. Place the Lamb in a large baking tray then drizzle the Olive Oil across the top of the Shoulder (the fatty part). Season liberally with Salt
4. Optional Step: Place Roast Vegetables such as Potatoes, Squash, Celeriac and Onions around the rest of the pan along with the Lamb. As the Lamb cooks the fat will render and coat these Vegetables giving them the most delicious flavor
5. Place the Lamb in an oven pre-heated to 430 degrees and roast for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat down to 370 and continue to roast. The general rule for Roasting Lamb Shoulder is 30 minutes for every pound. So, for a 4 lb. Shoulder you should Roast in total for 120 mins / 2 hours
6. Once the internal temperature of the Lamb reads 130 degrees remove from the Oven and rest. The Lamb will continue to cook while resting while all the juices within the meat settle. After resting for 20 minutes the Lamb is ready to carve and serve
   
   

The pan juices can be used to create a brilliant gravy for the Lamb as well. Simply combine a little flour and water then heat while stirring slowly until you get the perfect gravy consistency. We would highly suggest serving this Lamb along with some beautiful Roasted Vegetables and our Pickled Onions (recipe here) which cut through the fattiness of the lamb perfectly

Alternatively, for a lighter meal – save some of the Lamb Shoulder leftovers and serve them with this beautiful Tabbouleh Salad recipe found here

Happy Cooking!