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Slow-Roast Lamb Shoulder
Fall-apart tender lamb shoulder, slow-roasted until it melts in your mouth. The perfect Sunday roast that looks after itself.
Shop the ingredients
The exact cuts from our counter, delivered fresh across Essex.
Lamb shoulder is the most forgiving roast there is. Cooked low under foil, the fat and connective tissue melt into the meat until it barely needs a knife. It asks almost nothing of you except an early start.
Method
Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan).
Score the lamb fat in a diamond pattern. Make small incisions all over and push the garlic slices deep into them.
Rub the lamb all over with olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Scatter the onion slices in a large roasting tin, sit the lamb on top, and pour in the stock and wine.
Cover tightly with foil and roast for 3 hours.
Remove the foil, baste with the pan juices, and increase the temperature to 200°C (180°C fan). Roast for a further 45-60 minutes until the top is golden and the meat pulls apart with a fork.
Rest under foil for 20 minutes before pulling or carving. Strain the pan juices for gravy.
Pro tips from the block
- Fork test: if it doesn't pull apart easily, it isn't done. Give it another 30 minutes.
- Leftovers: shredded lamb shoulder is incredible in flatbreads, pies or shepherd's pie the next day.
- Wine pairing: a bold Syrah or Grenache stands up to the rich, fatty meat.
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