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Lamb shoulder easy to make in the slow cooker, incredibly delicious, meat that falls out of the bone served with a rich sauce.
The perfect recipe for cooking lamb for Easter. The shoulder of lamb and some vegetables, a slow cooker, and forget it. Use the time to cook the sides or bake an Easter cake, go for a walk or whatever. The clay pot will take care of the main course.
I
love lamb, and I’ve been cooking it in many different ways over the years. From soups to stews to a Romanian-style roasted leg, goulash, etc., we’ve had it all. I can’t count how many times we’ve had lamb simmered or lamb shredded. But since I bought the slow cooker, this has become my standard recipe for bone lamb.
Why? Because the recipe is even easier than the previous one (which is already ridiculously simple). Simply season the meat, cut some vegetables and turn on the machine. Never mind! You can’t overcook or overcook meat; No need to check the internal temperature, nothing at all.
The meat simply falls off the bone; you can crush it with a fork and there is no need for a knife. When I took the photos for this post, I wanted to lift a piece off the shoulder by grabbing it by the bone. Well, he had the bone in his hand, but the meat stayed in the pot. What a tender!
Once the kitchen has done its job, all you have to do is make the sauce. And that also takes a couple of minutes. And it’s so delicious!
What do you need to simmer shoulder of lamb?
- Meat: The shoulder is the perfect cut to cook over low heat; it is juicy and full of flavor. I had a 2 kg/4.4 lbs piece, and I asked the butcher to cut it into the joint; The shoulder was too big for my kitchen. Whether your piece is a little bigger or smaller, it won’t matter when it’s time to cook.
- Vegetables: 2 carrots, a large onion, 4-5 garlic cloves.
- Liquids: dry red wine and broth. If you have lamb broth, use it. Otherwise, chicken broth is also fine.
- Spices: salt, pepper, dried rosemary.
What could you add?
- Fresh rosemary: I use it all the time when I cook this shredded lamb. However, I couldn’t find fresh rosemary anywhere last time, so I had to replace it with dry. However, use fresh, if you have it. Stuff pieces along with the garlic into the grooves that you will cut into the meat.
- Anchovies: add an extra delicious salinity. Cut it into small pieces and insert it into the grooves along with the garlic.
- Other spices: for a Moroccan touch, for example, rubbing the meat with ras-el hanout, I did it several times, and we all loved it.
How to roast lamb shoulder in slow cooker?
- Peel and cut carrots and onions into large pieces. Place in the clay pot. Add salt and pepper.
- If the shoulder is not already divided into the joint and does not fit in the slow cooker, you will need to divide it into the joint now.
- Trim all the excess fat from the meat, I trim a lot, and I also remove the thick layer of fat on top. Really last time, it was almost 1cm/0.4 inches thick; I just can’t leave it there; Drops of sauce would be oily beyond rescue. And there is enough fat left in the meat to ensure a juicy roast even after removing that huge piece of skin.
- Rub well with salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Make incisions in the lamb with a fine, sharp knife. The incisions should be deep, but be careful not to pierce all the way through the flesh.
- Fill the slits with garlic slices. If you use rosemary or anchovies, cut them into small pieces and use them to fill cavities as well.
- Place the meat in the pot over the vegetables.
- Pour the wine and broth around the meat. Not at the top; You don’t want to wash off the seasoning.
- Turn on the slow cooker and cook for 5 hours over high heat and for 7-8 hours over low heat.
- The cooking time depends on the type of pot you have. Mine has a ceramic pot and that will heat up much slower than slow cookers with metal pots. Be sure to read the kitchen instruction manual regarding cooking times.
- You’ll know the lamb is ready when it’s incredibly soft and you can easily separate the meat with a fork.
- Let the slow cooker shoulder of lamb rest while making the sauce, loosely covered with aluminum foil.
Sauce:
- Remove as much fat from drips as possible (See tips).
- Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. (1)
- Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water, enough to get a thick but pouring paste
- Slowly beat the suspension in the sauce. Let it simmer for half a minute or so, then turn off the heat. (2)
- Taste the sauce and add seasoning, if necessary. I rarely do; This type of sauce is already quite well seasoned most of the time.
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Tip
Remove excess fat from raw meat, or the sauce will be too greasy. To remove more fat from the sauce, place the drips in a large, shallow bowl and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes while the meat rests. It will be easier to remove fat from the surface with a large flat spoon.
As mentioned above, read the slow cooker instruction manual regarding cooking times. Kitchens with a ceramic pot may need more time than kitchens with a metal pot.
Each time you open the pot to check the meat, add another 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
Prepare in advance?
- You can prepare slow-cooked lamb in the evening: excess fat removed, seasoned and stuffed with garlic and herbs. Cut the vegetables into pieces. Cover and refrigerate.
- Once ready to cook, all you need to do is transfer the food to the clay pot and add the wine and broth.
What to do with leftovers?
You’ll probably have some; The piece of meat is quite large. I often make leftover lamb ragout with pasta. You can also make burgers or sliders, stuff pita bread or wraps, make salads, or add to soups or stews.
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days, and can be frozen in freezer bags or airtight containers for about 2 months.
What to serve with slow cook lamb?
- Peas with butter
- French-style green beans
- Candied potatoes Crushed
- Roasted garlic Mashed potatoes
potatoes
More lamb recipes
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