Roast Lamb Shoulder
By LRay
Recipes & Menus | recipes
Roast Lamb Shoulder
A lamb shoulder is a stress-free dish to make, says Wyn Owen. “It’s so easy: You put it in the oven, walk away in the early afternoon, and a few hours later, it’s ready.” As the meat roasts, the melting fat and juices will create a delicious jus in the bottom of the pan. (If the pan looks dry about halfway through the cooking, add 1/2 cup water, wine, or stock.) Serve the fork-tender lamb with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the juices, along with side dishes of beans, stewed zucchini, and roasted cherry tomatoes.
6 servings
Recipe by The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph 2009). Copyright © Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers 2009.">The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (Michael Joseph 2009). Copyright © Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers 2009.
Photograph by David Loftus
August 2012
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 6–7-lb. bone-in lamb shoulder, some fat still attached (1/8"–1/4" thick)
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Preparation
Step 1
Preparation
Lightly score fat on lamb in a crisscross pattern at 1" intervals. Place lamb in a large roasting pan and season generously with salt and pepper, coating evenly on all sides. Sprinkle garlic and rosemary all over lamb and drizzle with oil and lemon juice.
Using your hands, rub marinade into meat, making sure it’s completely coated. Arrange fat side up in pan. Cover very tightly with foil and chill for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight (the lamb will develop more flavor the longer it marinates).
Preheat oven to 325°. Roast lamb, basting occasionally and adding water by 1/4-cupfuls if pan is dry, until meat is completely tender and pulling easily away from the bones, 4–4 1/2 hours (be sure to secure foil tightly around the roasting pan each time you finish basting the lamb).
Remove lamb from oven and uncover. Preheat broiler. Broil lamb, basting occasionally, until fat is golden brown and crisp, 5–7 minutes.
Transfer lamb to a serving platter. Spoon fat from surface of juices in pan; discard fat. Pour juices into a pitcher and serve alongside lamb.
Hungry for More? If you have a question about this recipe, contact our Test Kitchen at askba@bonappetit.com. To see more recipes like this one, check out our Lamb Slideshow.