Ultimate Roast Lamb: 12-hour lamb shoulder Recipe

A lamb leg is traditional. A 3-hour shoulder is superb. However for the most succulent roast lamb of your life, slow-roast it for 12 hours within the oven in a single day. Cooked at a really low temperature with loads of braising liquid, you possibly can set-and-forget with no fear. This completely hands-off, straightforward cooking technique yields superior outcomes with the bonus that it reheats 100% completely and you’ll prepare dinner as much as 4 shoulders without delay.

It is a reader-favourite recipe included by well-liked demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

It is a reader-favourite recipe included by well-liked demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!

There are various devoted followers of this tremendous 3-Hour Gradual Roasted Lamb Shoulder, full of garlic and rosemary. And there’ll all the time be a spot in my life for a 3-hour lamb, one thing speedy you possibly can pop within the oven on a lazy Sunday afternoon for supper that night time.

So why do you have to give the 12-hour lamb a go? As a result of it’s even higher. 🤷🏻‍♀️ See, it’s a bit like flying. Consider 3-hour lamb like enterprise class. It’s fairly superior and no one on the receiving finish goes to complain. However 12-hour lamb is the following rung, the highest shelf – it’s first-class. And when you’ve flown first-class, it’s arduous to have a look at the rest the identical means once more!

Right here’s what makes 12-hour lamb that rather more particular:

• Decrease temp = extra succulent meat – Robust cuts like lamb shoulder want slow-cooking to tenderise them. The decrease the roasting temperature, the much less whole moisture evaporation and thus juicier meat. 3-hour lamb is cooked at 180°C/350°F, whereas the 12 hour lamb is cooked at solely 100°C/212°F.

• Higher flavour – Not solely is the flesh juicier however the sluggish braising-roasting technique right here means you get the perfect of each worlds: flavour infused into the flesh from the floor rub and lamb juices which mingles with the braising liquid, and floor browning you possibly can solely get with roasting.

• Palms-off in a single day cooking – Coated, with loads of braising liquid to maintain it moist, our first-class lamb cooks in a single day on autopilot. No basting, no eradicating overlaying to brown, no tray rotations – it utterly takes care of itself. Get up the following day and be greeted with roasted meat perfection!

• Simple to scale up – Make 2 on the identical time in a single pan, or 4 throughout 2 pans!

• Reheats 100% completely – Not like many different roasts, this 12-hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder reheats 100% completely, which makes it a superb make-ahead centrepiece for big gatherings.

• It creates its personal jus (fancy phrase but it surely’s useless straightforward) – It’s simply the braising liquid, simmered to pay attention and thickened barely with cornflour/cornstarch. After 12-hours with the lamb, that is flavour-packed liquid gold!

• A ridiculous effort-to-reward ratio – I’m a VERY massive fan of recipes the place you reap excessive rewards for a small outlay of effort!

I’ve gone for traditional flavours right here that lamb loves – rosemary and garlic. Easy is all we’d like once we’re doing slow-roasting! (Be aware: Dried oregano lacking from photograph, oops!)

• Lamb shoulder – The extra economical but superior brother to lamb leg (in my humble opinion). It’s richer, it’s bought extra flavour, it’s juicer, and it’s way more forgiving to prepare dinner than lamb leg. Leg both must be roasted to blushing pink perfection or slow-roasted to fall-apart tenderness (however as a result of it’s leaner there’s much less margin for error with the prepare dinner time).

  Shoulders are broadly obtainable today in Australia, even at massive grocery shops (Coles, Woolies and so on). They’re sometimes round 1.3 – 1.6kg (younger lambs with extra tender flesh) however typically you will discover them as massive as 2kg+ that are nonetheless terrific, however the flesh is a wee bit much less tender (as a result of they’re older animals).

• Garlic, oregano (lacking from photograph, oops!) and rosemary – Timeless companions to lamb!

• Onion – To maintain the lamb barely elevated off the bottom (as a substitute of utilizing a rack) and in addition to flavour the sauce (lamb jus) which we make utilizing the braising liquid.

• Olive oil – For rubbing the lamb so the salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary stick.

• Water – A lot right here, and there’s a couple of causes for this. Firstly, for moisture retention within the flesh in the course of the slow-roasting interval. Secondly, it promotes extra even cooking of the flesh as a result of partially braising in a liquid distributes warmth extra successfully than the convective warmth of oven air (ie. simply dry roasting). Thirdly, to stop the pan drying out which might outcome within the pan base residues burning. And lastly, the water turns into closely flavoured with lamb juices, which we then scale back to make the sauce. There’s completely no want to make use of inventory!

Trace: There’s loads of sleeping on the job concerned. We want extra recipes like this!! 😂

1. Marinade / rub – Combine the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper with the olive oil.

2. Slather then elective marinade – Slather the rub everywhere in the lamb shoulder, being positive to get proper into all these cracks and crevices! I simply do that straight within the roasting pan – why hassle dirtying a chopping board??

   Then if time permits, go away the lamb to marinate for two hours on the counter within the roasting pan, or as much as 24 hours within the fridge.

   Marinating is an elective step. Why? As a result of the lengthy and sluggish prepare dinner time means the lamb is actually marinating because it cooks, for my part. However I’m positive individuals with a extra refined palate than me can in all probability style the distinction between marinating, and never. I can’t. So I often skip the marinating time.

3. Water – Pop the onion wedges underneath the lamb (I promise they’re hidden underneath the lamb proven above!) then pour the water into the pan.

4. Brown 45 minutes – Pop the lamb within the oven for 45 minutes, uncovered. That is to present the browning a head begin. It would brown additional when lined in foil, however this simply ensures our completed produce is actually properly browned. It’s simpler and higher to do that first than on the finish when it’s already cooked.

5. 12 hours in oven – Cowl lamb with baking paper then two layers of foil, sealed tightly (or higher but, a heavy roasting pan lid) to stop evaporating moisture leakage. We wish all of it to remain locked in! Then place within the oven for 12 hours at 100°C/212°F. Now go to mattress and sleep properly, relaxed by the information that your lamb will end up superbly tomorrow.

6. Fall-apart meat and LOTS of liquid! When the lamb emerges from the oven within the morning, the flesh ought to pry aside with little or no effort (test the aspect, not prime, to protect presentation). The pan can have even MORE liquid than it began with due to all of the lamb juices. See? No threat of a dry pan burning!

The sauce for this slow-roast lamb is an intensely-flavoured surprise, filled with the tasty and meaty goodness you possibly can solely get from 12 hours of sluggish cooking! Technically this can be a sort of jus versus a gravy, as a result of it’s produced from a discount of meat juices fairly than pan scrapings.

The great factor about it’s that it’s a lot much less fussy to make than gravy. No wrangling a roasting pan on the range to make a roux with the fats within the pan right here. As a substitute, we merely simmer the pan juices to pay attention, then thicken barely with cornflour / cornstarch so it coats the meat properly when doused.

Tips on how to make Lamb Jus

1. Scale back pan juices – Take away the lamb to a platter, one other roasting pan or a big container. Then pressure all of the pan juices right into a saucepan. Simmer quickly to scale back to 1 cup.

2. Thicken with cornflour – Make a cornflour slurry by mixing 1 teaspoon of cornflour with 1/4 cup of water. Pour that straight into the saucepan whereas stirring. At first it can make the liquid murky, however because it comes as much as the boil it can turn out to be shiny and clear, and can thicken barely.

   We don’t need the jus to be too thick – not like our ordinary gravy that we serve with roasts. A jus is meant to be thinner. It is because it appears and pours extra elegantly than a extra viscous gravy. Additionally as a result of it sometimes has extra intense savoury flavour than gravy, you employ much less. So we would like the sauce to run extra readily so it coats the meat extra thinly than gravy (in, say, the 3-hour lamb shoulder).

   As soon as the jus is prepared, pour right into a jug and serve alongside the lamb. It may be made days prematurely, saved in a container and reheated merely within the microwave or on the range.

As I discussed proper at first, a number of the causes this has turn out to be my go-to centrepiece for a a gaggle menu is as a result of:

• It’s straightforward to scale up (as much as 4 shoulders in a single oven)

• It’s just about completely hands-off

• It may be made forward the night time earlier than, and reheats 100% completely

So I believed it may be useful to additionally share with you my typical roast-cooking sport plans together with timings, which I observe relying on when and the way I plan to serve the roast.

Right here’s a few gatherings from this yr that starred this 12 hour sluggish roasted lamb! Firstly, my belated New Years’ Eve 2021 get together that passed off in March:

And extra not too long ago on a visit to Tasmania after I took over the kitchen of Meadowbank Winery to placed on a giant lunch for Tassie mates! 4 lamb shoulders had been slow-cooked in a single day in a single oven within the Air BNB I used to be staying at, then had been transported to the winery within the morning for the lunch. Extra on this journey within the Postcards from Tasmania part on this e-newsletter from after I took the journey.

A grand principal deserves worthy sides!!

It’s pictured above with Greek Lemon Potatoes, that are an ideal match for this Mediterranean-style lamb. Additionally peeking out of the underside nook is a giant, juicy Greek Salad which is a beautiful contemporary aspect to chop by the richness of the lamb.

An enormous pan of Herb & Garlic Roasted Greens would even be preferrred and will be made after the lamb comes out of the oven for the reason that lamb will keep heat for hours upon hours.

For a luxe possibility, add a aspect of Duck Fats Potatoes, the crunchiest roast potatoes you’ll ever have in your life. And for greens, a giant bowl of the Garlic Sautéed Inexperienced Beans from Wednesday could be preferrred!

So! What do you assume? Have I satisfied you to present this a go? I don’t crown this the ULTIMATE Roast Lamb calmly! I really do consider this to be the easiest way to roast a lamb, for essentially the most superior outcomes. And I’ve shared a good few of roast lamb recipes in my time, simply look beneath!

Extra of my Roast lamb recipes

Roast Lamb Leg with Gravy

Gradual Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Greek Butterflied Lamb Leg

Greek Gradual Roasted Leg of Lamb

Gradual Cooker Roast Lamb Leg

Gradual Cooked Lamb Shawarma

– Johnsat x

This recipe options in my debut cookbook Dinner. The e-book is generally new recipes, however this can be a reader favorite included by well-liked demand!

This recipe options in my debut cookbook Dinner. The e-book is generally new recipes, however this can be a reader favorite included by well-liked demand!

Ultimate Roast Lamb: 12-hour lamb shoulder Recipe

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Serves: 5 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 13 hours 13 hours

Nutrition facts: 377 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1.6 – 2.2kg / 3.2 – 4.4lb lamb shoulder , bone-in (Note 1)
• 2 cups water (Note 2)
• 1 brown onion (unpeeled), cut into 6 wedges (Note 3)
• 2 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary , chopped (finely)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves (big!) , finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt , kosher or cooking salt (or 3/4 tsp table salt)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C / 450°F (210°C fan).
2. Marinade/rub: Mix the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Rub all over the lamb surface, getting it right into all the cracks and crevices!
3. Marinate 2 – 24 hrs: If time permits, marinate for 2 hours on the counter in a roasting pan, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. I skip this step more often than not, however. (Note 4)
4. Prepare roasting pan: Scatter onion in the base of the roasting pan. Place lamb shoulder on top . Pour water into pan.
5. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes.
6. Slow-roast 12 hours: Turn oven down to 100°C/210°F (both fan and standard, Note 5). Cover lamb with baking paper, then a double layer of foil and seal very tightly to avoid water evaporation. Roast for 12 hours (I always do overnight!).
7. Check meat – Test side of lamb with two forks. The meat should be fall-apart tender. If not, cover and return to oven.
8. Remove lamb: There will (should!) be a lot of liquid pooled under the lamb in the roasting pan. Remove lamb to a large dish. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. It will stay warm for 2 to 3 hours. See Note for reheating / making ahead.
9. Reduce liquid: Strain all the liquid in the roasting pan into a saucepan (Note 2). Bring to a boil then simmer rapidly on medium-high until it reduces down to 1 cup (250ml).
10. Thicken: Mix cornflour with water. Pour into jus in a thin stream while stirring continuously. Continue to cook for a minute or two over medium heat, stirring every now and then, until it thickens to a syrup consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
11. Serve Slow Roasted Lamb with Jus. Use tongs for tearing meat off – no knife for carving needed! Pictured in post with Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes, a perfect match for this Greek-ish flavoured lamb. Roasted Vegetables would also be ideal.

Notes

Serving portions – Allow 300g/10oz of lamb per person for normal people, or 500g/1lb for big eaters. This measure is the bone-in, raw lamb. Meat shrinks considerably once cooked, you probably lose around 30% in weight so ends up being much less as cooked meat.
1. Lamb shoulder – A tough cut of meat that needs to be cooked far beyond well done until the meat becomes fall-apart tender. You do not need a knife to carve this meat, pull it off with tongs!
Shoulder comes in all sorts of sizes depending on the size/age of lamb! The cook time doesn’t really differ because the meat itself needs a minimum amount of time to break down and become tender, and also the low temperature means it’s very forgiving, ie. it’s hard to overcook this meat to the point it dries out.
If your shoulder is really small though, say 1.2kg / 2.4lb, then you can probably cut down the cook time by 2 hours, but it should still be succulent even if you stick with the full 12 hours.
Lamb leg – This recipe is not suitable for leg, please use this Slow Roasted Lamb Leg recipe instead.
2. Water is all we need for the braising liquid because it gets so much flavour from the lamb juices, no need to use stock.
Liquid in pan after slow roasting – If the foil was tightly sealed (and your lamb is juicy!), you will/should end up with 3 – 4 cups liquid at the end. If you have less than 1 cup, add water to top up before simmer on stove to make the Jus.
3. Onion – Elevates the lamb slightly off base for more even cooking, plus adds flavour to the liquid that forms the Jus (sauce). Can keep skin on because it holds together better and we strain it out anyway.
4. Marinating – The long and slow cook time means the lamb is essentially marinating as it cooks, in my opinion. But I’m sure people with a more refined palate than me can probably taste the difference between marinating, and not. (I can’t).
5. Oven temp – I find that you need to use the same temperature for standard vs fan oven for low temperature, slow cooking. It’s something I’ve discovered over the years across various recipes, including things slow cooked at slightly higher temperatures like Massaman Lamb Shanks. I think it’s because the lower the oven temperature, the smaller the difference in actual oven heat between fan vs standard ovens.
6. Workflow / timing / reheating: Here’s what I do –
Serving for lunch – Slow roast overnight so it comes out of there oven around 9 am (to give a bit of headroom for extra oven time if needed, in case meat is not fall-apart-tender). Lamb will stay warm covered in foil for 3 hours easily, in a new pan or container (don’t leave in liquid, as it will continue cooking). If needed, reheat per below.
Dinner – Slow roast overnight, allow lamb to cool to room temperature, then store in fridge. Take out 3 hours prior to serving (to de-chill for more even, faster reheating). Reheat covered in oven at 150°C/300°F for 1 hour (for 1 lamb shoulder; 4 will take longer). Emergency reheating option: Microwave it. Yes, really!
Jus – Make, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until required. Reheat in microwave or saucepan on stove.
Storage – Cooked lamb will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or freezer for 3 months. It is at its best within 24 hours of cooking I find, but it’s still 97% excellent on days 2 to 5.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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