Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

How to cook your family the best lamb roast dinner. This recipe shows you how to slow roast a lamb shoulder joint in the oven, for 3 ½ to 5 hours at a low temperature. Slow cooked to the point where the tender meat falls off the bone. Extra flavour and glaze are given from a mint jelly marinade added near the end of cooking time. Lamb is roasted in stock which creates the base for a delicious minted lamb gravy.Instructions are for half shoulder lamb, however, can also be used for a whole shoulder lamb joint, with extra oven roasting time. Measurements are given in both UK, metric and US, imperial.

📝 Ingredients

• 1.2 kg Lamb Shoulder (Bone in)
• 2 Onions
• 1 Garlic bulb (Spread into cloves)
• 4 sprigs thyme (Or your prefered herb)
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 litre Lamb stock (Can use beef or vegetable stock instead.)
• 3 tbsp Mint Jelly
• Leftover stock, from roasting tin (fat removed)
• 3 tbsp Flour (mixed with water to create a lump free slurry before adding)
• 1 tsp Mint Jelly

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Tray: Preheat oven to 150°C fan / 170°C / Gas mark 3 / 325°F. It is best to bring the 1.2 kg Lamb Shoulder (Bone in) out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Remove from packaging and pat dry.Chop 2 Onions into thick round discs. Place in the middle of a large roasting tin with the cloves of 1 Garlic bulb (no need to peel) and 4 sprigs thyme scattered around.
2. 2Oil: Pour 2 tbsp Olive Oil over the lamb shoulder and rub it in on both sides with your hands
3. 3Season: Place the lamb shoulder joint on top of the onions fat side up, season the lamb with more thyme leaves and a generous amount of Salt and Pepper
4. 4Stock: Add 1 litre Lamb stock around the lamb (do not pour over the lamb)
5. 5Cover the whole tray with foil and cook at 150°C fan / 170°C / Gas mark 3 / 325°F for 3 hours to start (this is not the full cooking time)(remember this cooking time is for a 1kg - 1.5 kg, half lamb shoulder, see notes section for roasting time, if using a larger, whole shoulder)
6. 6Baste: Remove tray halfway through cooking. Shut oven door, lift foil and use a spoon or baster to pour the stock over the lamb. Recover with foil and cook for the remaining time.
7. 7Glaze: After 3 hours of cooking, spoon on 3 tbsp Mint Jelly and rub all over the top.Remove from roasting tin and place in a clean tray to continue cooking for another 30 minutes uncovered at the same temperature.
8. 8Sieve: Remove onions and garlic (you can keep for serving with roast if desired).Use a sieve to pour Leftover stock, from roasting tin from the tin into a jug.Place the jug in a bowl of ice to help cool it down quicker. Once cooled enough, place in the freezer to encourage the fat to harden.
9. 9Rest: Once finished, remove the lamb and loosely cover it with foil. Allowing it to rest whilst cooking roast dinner side dishes
10. 10--- Minted Lamb Gravy ---
11. 11Fat: Remove jug from the freezer and use a spoon to remove the hard layer of fat off the top.
12. 12Heat: Reheat the stock in a pan.
13. 13Slurry: Mix 3 tbsp Flour with double amount of cold water to create a lump-free flour slurry.
14. 14Thicken: Add flour slurry slowly into stock whilst whisking to prevent lumps from forming. You don't have to add it all, mix until at the desired gravy thickness.
15. 15Mint: Add 1 tsp Mint Jelly (optional) for extra flavour.
16. 16Jug: Pour into a serving jug and cover to keep warm
17. 17--- How to serve pulled lamb ---
18. 18Fork: Once rested, use two forks to pull the tender lamb apart.
19. 19Bone: The meat will literally fall off the bone, there is no need to carve it.
20. 20Serve with all the lamb gravy and all the usual roast dinner side dishes, check out the blog post for ideas.