Ultimate Slow Roast Lamb Recipe: Best Lamb Shoulder Technique (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.

This is our guide to choosing the best cut of lamb for your dish of choice. This part of the animal works hard, so the meat from a lamb's shoulder is full of flavour. It takes a while to become tender, but this means it's a great choice for stewing and slow-roasting.

Lower temp = more succulent meat – Tough cuts like lamb shoulder need slow-cooking to tenderise them. The lower the roasting temperature, the less total moisture evaporation and thus juicier meat. 3-hour lamb is cooked at 180°C/350°F, while the 12 hour lamb is cooked at only 100°C/212°F.

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.

The dry heat of roasting is best for tender cuts of lamb, like the leg, rack, and loin. If you'd like to roast a cut like a lamb shoulder, go for a long, slow roast. If you're cooking a bone-in leg, keep in mind that because of the thicker and thinner portions of the cut you'll get a range of doneness.

Tips for slow cooking

Brown the lamb first, in batches if necessary. This will maintain a high heat in the pan and caramelise the juices, which will improve the colour and flavour of the meat. Although lamb is a little more fatty than other meats, don't trim all of it away before cooking.

Because the shoulder is a heavily used part of the animal, it can be tough. This means for it to become tender and melt in your mouth, it needs time for the meat to release the tension and for the fat to completely render down. Give yourself around 8 hours to get this one done, plus a little extra for prep.

As a rough guide, to roast a lamb joint allow about 45 minutes' cooking time per kilo in weight (or about 25 minutes per pound). Place in a preheated oven at a high temperature initially (230°C/gas mark 8), then after about 15 minutes, lower the temperature (to 200°C/gas mark 6) for the remainder of the cooking time.

And when you have a gorgeous cut, like a rack of lamb, you can cook it the good ol' Gordon Ramsay way—which is to say, lightly pan-sear it first, then baste it with an herby, garlicky butter, and finally finish it off in the oven until it's still pink and juicy in the middle.

What temp does lamb fall apart? ›

Whether boneless or bone-in, the perfect leg of lamb should be either oven-roasted until blushing pink on the inside (with an internal temp around 130°F) or roasted long and slow for several hours until the meat is very tender and falls apart to internal temp around 175°F (I often use the slow cooker for that).

Ensure your pulled lamb has developed a crusty bark on the outside before wrapping in foil mid-cook. Cook without wrapping until the internal temperature reaches 203F. This can take up to 8 hours without wrapping. Pull the lamb apart whilst it's hot.

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.

Check Liquid Levels: Ensure there is enough liquid in the crockpot to keep the lamb moist. If it appears to be drying out, add more broth, wine, or water. Use Acidic Ingredients: Consider adding acidic ingredients like tomatoes or vinegar to the cooking liquid. Acids can help break down connective t.

Cuts like the shoulder, shanks and forequarter are much more forgiving than a leg of lamb, and they can stay in the slow cooker for a couple more hours than the recommended cooking time. However, if you leave lamb in the slow cooker for too long it will become stringy and dry.

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.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

Roast for 20 minutes to give the lamb a chance to develop a crust, then turn the heat down to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas 2. Roast for 21/2–4 hours, depending on the size of your joint.