Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• Rosemary-Garlic Brine (recipe follows)
• 1 bone-in lamb shoulder, about 
8 pounds
• 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3 ribs celery, cut into large chunks
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground 
pepper
• Fresh rosemary leaves, for garnish
• Rosemary-Garlic Brine
• 8 cups hot water, plus 8 cups 
cold water
• 3 cups kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• Leaves from 6 sprigs rosemary
• 8 cups ice

Preparation

Step 1

1
Rosemary-Garlic Brine: Combine the 8 cups hot water, the salt, and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and let cool. Chop the garlic and rosemary in a food processor or by hand.
2
Pour the 8 cups cold water into a small cooler, a tub, a clean heavy-duty trash bag, or another container just big enough to hold whatever it is you are brining. Pour in the cooled sugar/saltwater, the ice, and the chopped garlic and rosemary. The ice will melt as the brine sits. Add the meat and refrigerate or pack with ice in a large cooler for the entire brining time so that the meat stays cold.
3
Put a large, heavy-duty trash bag in a large bowl or tub (something large enough to hold the lamb) and carefully pour in the brine. Add the lamb and push it down until it is completely submerged. Press the air out of the bag, tie it closed, and put the container and bag in the refrigerator for 3 days.
4
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Make a layer of the vegetable chunks on the bottom 
of a roasting pan that is large enough to fit the lamb. Pull the lamb from the brine and discard the brine. Place the lamb on the vegetables and roast until fork-tender, 4 to 
5 hours. Let cool to room temperature.
5
Remove the cooled lamb to a cutting board and remove the bones. The lamb should be tender enough to pull the bones right out of the meat. Try to keep the sections of meat as whole as possible.
6
Slice the lamb sections into 1-inch-thick pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown the lamb pieces in the hot oil until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning occasionally. Serve the seared lamb pieces on a platter sprinkled with salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary leaves.