Lamb shoulder can be roasted bone-in or boneless, with seasonings such as rosemary and garlic. Slow roasting is recommended for the slightly tougher cut, and the meat should be allowed to rest before carving.
Lamb shoulders are cuts of meat from young sheep, which can usually be purchased with the bone still in or with the bones removed. Before roasting the shoulder of lamb, the fat on the meat can be scored with a knife and the meat can be seasoned. Once the beef has been seasoned, it can be placed in a saucepan or shallow roasting pan and roasted until medium rare to medium. The meat should then be allowed to rest for several minutes before cutting into it.
A shoulder roast of lamb usually has a little more fat than other cuts of lamb. It may also be slightly tougher and should be slow roasted for best results. Boneless lamb shoulder roasts usually come tied in string. Shoulder of lamb can also be purchased bone-in, which is often a little less expensive, but can be difficult to carve. Because it’s naturally juicy, dry roasting is usually the best method for roasting lamb shoulder.
Several seasonings can be used to add flavor before roasting the shoulder of lamb. Salting the meat before cooking, however, is usually not recommended, as this can cause the meat to dry out a bit. However, herbs are often used, including rosemary, thyme, oregano, and garlic.
The fat covering the surface of the lamb shoulder can be scored with a sharp knife before rubbing seasonings into the meat. This will help the flavors infuse into the meat. The meat can also be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and left to marinate for several hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.
About half an hour before cooking lamb shoulder, the meat must be removed from the refrigerator. At the end of the half hour, the meat should be close to room temperature. This will help ensure that all of the lamp shoulders are cooking evenly.
Once the meat has reached room temperature, it should be placed in a roasting pan or casserole dish. A rack should also be placed in the bottom of the pan, which will help air circulate around the shoulder of lamb. If the shoulder of lamb has a layer of fat, it should be side up.
As the meat cooks, the fat will melt and marinate the meat. It can then be placed in an oven that has been preheated to approximately 450°F (230°C). If the outside of the meat starts to burn before the inside is done, the oven can be turned down to about 325°F (160°C).
When roasting shoulder of lamb, the meat should be cooked no further than medium rare. Medium to well-done lamb will typically be a bit dry and tough. To ensure it is cooked to the proper doneness, a meat thermometer should be stuck into a meaty part of the meat. Its tip should not touch bone, as this will often result in a false reading.
For medium rare shoulder of lamb, the core temperature should be around 130°F (54.4°C). The internal temperature of average lamb meat should be around 150°F (65°C). The meat should be removed from the oven when the internal temperature of the meat is about 5°C lower than it should be. After roasting the shoulder of lamb, it can then be covered loosely with foil and allowed to rest for 10-20 minutes before it is carved. During this time, the inside of the meat will continue to cook and most of the juices will return to the center of the meat.
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