17 Lamb Shoulder Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Does lamb shoulder get more tender the longer you cook it? ›

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150C to soften the meat.

Roast for 21/2–4 hours, depending on the size of your joint. Start checking after 21/2 hours – when the lamb is ready the bone will feel loose and the meat will be very soft and tender.

A succulent, full-flavoured, shoulder of free-range lamb. One shoulder minimum weight 2.5kg will serve 4-5 people.

The lamb in the slow-cooker was juicier than that from the oven, but lacked the oven lamb's exterior crispy bits (we love crispy bits). The solution was to take the vegetables and lamb from the slow cooker and run them under the broiler to crisp things up a bit. We'd eat either version again in a heartbeat.

It can be traditionally roasted but is best slow-roasted, pot-roasted or braised with liquid until practically falling apart. Shoulder can also be diced for stewing, or cut into shoulder chops. A pre-sliced roast is convenient, but it tends to dry out in the oven.

All the lamb needs is a sprinkle of salt and pepper, drizzle of olive oil. Add beef broth/stock and water into the pan (keeps everything all nice and moist + makes pan juices for gravy), cover then slow roast for 5 hours until tender and fall apart.

Sit the lamb shoulder on top, and then cover the lamb and roasting tray in foil. It's usually easiest to do this loosely as the bone in the lamb can pierce the foil, but don't worry too much if that does happen, it really won't affect things too much. Roast in the oven for 4-5 hours.

Ideal Cooking Methods: Due to its higher fat and connective tissue content, the lamb shoulder shines when subjected to various slow-cooking methods. Braising, stewing and slow roasting break down its tissues, rendering the meat succulently tender.

A boned and rolled shoulder makes it easy to carve. Suggested portion size - 250-300g per person.

Can you overcook lamb shoulder? ›

Lamb shoulder is quite a fatty cut, so wonderful for low, slow roasting. It's a foolproof way of feeding a crowd because it nigh on impossible to overcook it. Read more about sharing.

Sear Before Slow-Cooking

You create a Maillard reaction when you sear the lamb, which is a chemical reaction between the amino acids and the sugars in the meat. This reaction adds an extra roasted layer of flavor to the meat and seals in the juices, keeping it moist during the cooking process.

It depends on the cut. If you cook a lamb shank low and slow, it will become more tender as long as you don't let it dry out. A lamb chop, on the other hand, will reach optimum tenderness at medium rare. After that it will become tougher as it cooks.

Meanwhile, rub the lamb all over with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Starting fat side down, sear the lamb in a non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, turning regularly until gnarly all over but blushing in the middle, or use your instincts to cook to your liking.

Letting the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes once you finish cooking it is essential. This rest period allows the juices to redistribute and settle throughout the muscle fibers, which creates a tender and juicy piece of meat. The juices will escape if you cut into the lamb right away, causing the meat to dry.

Reducing the heat, covering and adding water to the tray keeps it moist. It means the spice rub doesn't burn, and adds to the pan juices for sauce making. Cooking slow for over 7 hours allows the fat to render over time yielding a seriously tender and fall apart roast.

Temperature is by far the most critical aspect of cooking lamb chops. Undercooking even tender lamb chops can render them unpleasantly chewy, while overcooking will lead to tough, dried-out meat. Rib chops should be cooked to about 130°F, while loin chops are better at 135°F or even 140°F.