Rustic Cut Roasted Lamb Shoulder Recipes

ROASTED SHOULDER OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Push garlic (3 to 4 slivers) into the shoulder of lamb. Cover with sprigs of rosemary, salt and a little olive oil. Roast uncovered for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove lamb and leave to rest. Drain off the excess fat. Over the heat, add the flour to the pan of juices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add red wine or vegetable stock, stir until thick.

ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER (AGNELLO DE LATTE ARROSTO)

Steps:

• Trim most of the fat from the chops, leaving only a very thin layer on the outside surfaces. With your fingers, pull apart each chop, roughly in half, along the natural break lines between the muscles.
• Put the meat in a large bowl with all of the remaining ingredients except the stock. Toss well to distribute all the seasonings, and submerge the meat in the marinade. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the meat occasionally.
• Heat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the meat chunks in the roasting pan, spread the marinade all around them, and pour in the stock. Cover the pan with a tent of aluminum foil, and press it firmly against the sides. Pierce a few slits in the foil as steam vents.
• Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, basting and turning the meat every 30 minutes or so. After the first hour, remove the foil, and continue roasting uncovered. As the pan liquid evaporates and the meat starts to caramelize, baste and turn more frequently. If the meat seems to be drying quickly, reduce the oven temperature. When the meat is very tender and nicely browned all over, and the pan juices have reduced by half, remove the pan from the oven and transfer the meat chunks to a warm platter.
• To make the sauce, mash all the vegetables in the roasting pan, using a potato masher or a big spoon. Stir the pan juices around the sides and bottom of the pan to deglaze all the tasty caramelized bits. Pour everything into a sturdy wire-mesh sieve set over a bowl or large measuring cup. Press on the vegetables, releasing their juices, and force them through the sieve, scraping the pure into the bowl to thicken and flavor the sauce. Skim the fat from the surface, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• When you are ready to serve, pour about half the sauce into a large skillet, along with the lamb pieces and any meat juices in the platter. Heat slowly to a simmer, turning the meat over and over until it is heated through. Return the meat to the platter, and drizzle over it the thickened sauce from the skillet. Serve right away, passing the remaining sauce at the table.

SLOW-ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the pitted olives, garlic, cured lemon slices, olive oil and herbs to form a rustic paste. Be careful not to overprocess; you want the paste to stay a bit coarse.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Open the lamb shoulder up on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to trim and score the flesh. Season the inside with salt. Rub the inside of the lamb with the seasoning paste. Carefully roll the lamb tightly and truss, or tie, with butcher's twine. Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper. Place the roast on a wire rack set inside a deep roasting pan. Roast the shoulder in the preheated oven for 1 hour 25 minutes.
• After 1 hour 25 minutes, remove the lamb from the oven and check the internal temperature of the roast with a metal probe thermometer the inside should read between 145 and 150 degrees F. If the temperature is lower, return the lamb to the oven and keep cooking until the desired internal temperature is reached.Once the lamb is cooked, set it aside in a warm place to let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Carefully remove the butcher's twine. With a sharp knife, carve the shoulder into thin slices. Arrange on a serving platter, season with coarse sea salt if you like, and serve immediately.

RUSTIC LAMB SOUP

Steps:

• Place the lamb stock, bones from the lamb joint and 600ml of water in a large pan. Leave to simmer, uncovered, on a medium heat for 1 hour 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and cube all of the vegetables.
• Sieve the liquid from the stock into a fresh pan and add the sweet potato, celeriac and carrots and boil for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a separate pan.
• Add the potatoes and remaining leeks and onions along with the shredded Lamb. Warm on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
• Season to taste and serve with large slices of rustic bread.

RUSTIC-CUT ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• Toss all ingredients except the stock and dried porcini together in a bowl large enough to hold them comfortably. Cover and refrigerate overnight, tossing several times. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before roasting.
• Bring the stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, toss in the porcini, and let steep until softened, about 20 minutes. Scoop out the porcini and rinse them lightly to remove sand and grit. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter, or carefully pour it off into a small bowl, leaving the sediment behind.
• While the mushrooms are soaking, preheat the oven to 475° F. Turn the lamb and marinade ingredients into a roasting pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. (A 16 × 13-inch roasting pan works well.) Add the mushrooms and their soaking liquid. Cover with aluminum foil and roast 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and roast until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Turn the pieces of lamb and baste them several times as they cook.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to an ovenproof serving dish. Set the roasting pan over high heat, bring the liquid in the pan to a boil, and boil until the liquid is slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Strain the juices into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much liquid from them as possible. Spoon off the fat from the surface of the juices and pour the remaining liquid over the meat. Return the lamb to the oven and roast, turning the meat frequently, until very tender and well browned all over, about 15 minutes.