Slow-cooked lamb shoulder is one of those dishes that looks like you've made a huge effort but is really just patience, the oven does the work while you get on with your day. It comes out meltingly tender, falling off the bone. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
- 1 lamb shoulder (around 2kg, bone-in)
- 1 whole garlic bulb, halved
- A few sprigs of rosemary
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500ml stock or water
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Season. Rub the lamb all over with oil, salt and pepper. Poke a few slits in the meat and push in slivers of garlic and rosemary.
- Build the base. Scatter the onions, remaining garlic and rosemary in a deep roasting tin, sit the lamb on top, and pour the stock around it (not over the skin).
- Blast, then cover. Roast uncovered at 220°C (200°C fan) for 20 minutes to get some colour, then cover tightly with foil and drop the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
- Slow cook. Leave it for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat pulls apart with a fork. Baste once or twice if you're passing.
- Rest and pull. Rest for 15 minutes, then shred the meat off the bone. Skim the juices in the tin for an instant gravy.
Serve with
Roast potatoes and greens for a Sunday feast, flatbreads and yoghurt for a sharing spread, or piled into rolls with the pan juices.
A butcher's tip
Shoulder is the ideal cut for this, it's got the fat and connective tissue that a long, low cook turns to silk. A leaner leg won't give you the same melting result.
Get your lamb
Grab a shoulder from our lamb range, butcher-prepared and delivered fresh, or see more slow-cook cuts in our slow cooking guide.