Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb

I've been using the slow-cooker a lot more these days, and with the temperatures dropping have also started using the oven more to slow-roast different meats. It's a handy way of warming the flat when I don't want to have the radiators on as well.

Of course, I am also aware that the tougher cuts of meat that do well with slow-cooking cost a lot less than other more popular roasting joints.

One good example here is the shoulder of lamb. This cut is not just cheaper, it is also more

Cuts of lamb

forgiving for new cooks and easier to cook than the leaner leg. You'd have to really go out of your way to overcook a shoulder, making it an ultimate bung it in the oven and forget about it roast.

You  can buy the shoulder with bone in, or filleted out and rolled. Just ask your butcher to do this if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. Personally, I prefer roasting with the bone in as that bone helps to flavour the meat. It is easier to carve however without the shoulder blade and other bones in the way.

Once boned, you can add different herbs or spices and other flavours into the center before rolling it up and roasting. It can also be cut into cubes for slow-cooking in a stew or other dish.

I buy mine with the bone in though, and leave it that way for roasting. True, it is not easily carved, but as it's just my sons and me none of us are all that fussed about perfection on a plate.

Shoulder of lamb

The shoulder is a flattish cut with the scapula, some of the ribs and possibly a part of the forearm. It has a thin layer of fat over the top and more marbled throughout. Slow-roasting allows all of those flavours to permeate through the meat.

A 1.8kg shoulder provided plenty of meat for myself and two teenage sons with a bit leftover.

I have now cooked this particular dish a few times and it is always a hit.


You will need:

• 1 shoulder of lamb
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 2 medium onion
• 4 - 6 cloves garlic
• fresh rosemary
• fresh thyme

Method:

1. Preheat the oven as hot as it will go with one rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Use a sharp knife to score the layer of fat and cut pockets of about 1 cm depth across the top of the shoulder. 
3. Cut the two onions in half around the equator (don't worry about peeling) and place cut side up in a roasting pan. Add half the fresh rosemary and thyme and half the crushed garlic cloves. 
4. Cut the remaining garlic cloves into thin pieces and push those into each of the pockets along with 2 - 3 rosemary leaves and a bit of thyme. 
5. Transfer the lamb into the roasting pan on top of the onions. Cover with any remaining fresh herbs, season generously with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over the top. 
6. Pour about 1 cup water into the pan, cover tightly with foil. 
7. Turn the oven down to a moderate heat, about 300f/150c/gas mark 2.
8. Place the roasting pan in the oven and leave it for at least 3 hours, or more. I like to give it about 4 hours myself. 
9. In the final hour, remove the foil and strain off any excess liquid into a pan. This will be used to make a meat broth gravy. Return the now uncovered roast to the oven to cook another 45 minutes. 
10. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer the roast onto a serving platter. Cover with foil and leave to rest 10 - 15 minutes. 

Serve this with a seasonal vegetable and roast potatoes or other root vegetables.

You can pour some of the gravy over the top, or drizzle a spoonful or three of mint sauce.

Mint Sauce:

• 1 handful fresh peppermint
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup malt vinegar

1. Very finely chop the mint leaves, sprinkle about half the sugar over the leaves once chopped and continue finely chopping as this will help to pull out the oils. 
2. Transfer to a small glass, add the remaining sugar and pour over the malt vinegar. Give it a quick stir then, and again before spooning out. 

Rack of lamb with a mint herb crust

Lamb is a popular dish in our house, and when I find a rack of lamb on sale I like to do something special with it. Now, I firmly believe when you have a good piece of meat you shouldn't much about with it too much, so this is a rather simple but tasty dish I've made.

This was made using 2 racks of 6 ribs each.

Start by searing the outside of the lamb in a bit of olive oil in an oven proof saute pan

Finely chopped 1 garlic clove, 1 small palmful parsley, and 1 small palmful mint and mix this with a tablespoon dried bread crumbs.

Add a small amount of olive oil to make a paste and spoon this over one side of the seared lamb.

Transfer the whole thing into the oven at gas mark 5 for 50 minutes.

Once cooked I sliced the rack into individual portions and served.

Savoury Meat Pies

Shepherd's Pie

The British savoury pie is a time honoured tradition. This is simple food at its most delicious. A steaming hot filling of gravy, vegetables, and meat surrounded by a pastry shell or topped by a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Served up on a plate with a large spoonful of fresh seasonal vegetables, it's meal fit for any table.

These pies can be the perfect way to use up cooked bits of meat and cooked vegetables from a family roast dinner. They're also good when you want to stretch a few ingredients out to feed the family. Favourites at our house include beef cottage pie, beef pie with a puff pastry topping, chicken pie, and shepherd's pie.

Cottage Pie or Shepherd's Pie

I sometimes see some confusion between these two similar pies, but it's realy very simple. A shepherd's pie is made using lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie is made using other meats like beef or chicken.

Otherwise, they're made exactly the same way.

You will need: 

Leftover roasting joint (beef, lamb, or chicken) - pull as much meat as you can off the bones then put the bone into a pot of water to make a stock.
1 large or 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 - 2 carrots, diced and cooked until soft in boiling water
1 cup frozen peas or corn
Herbs and spices - pick 2 or 3 that go with whatever meat you're using. For instance, rosemary goes well with lamb or beef, sage and thyme go well with chicken
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Gravy
Mashed potatoes

Chop meat in food processor

1. Roughly cut up the leftover meat and then put it into a food processor and pulse it a few times until you get the desired consistency. I prefer to have a few bigger pieces but other may way it to be completely chopped into small pieces. If you don't think you'll have enough meat, add in a couple slices of bread and chop those in as well. 

Cook onions and frozen vegetables

2. Heat about a tablespoon olive oil in a pan (I use the wok because it's big enough to do all the mixing as well) and cook the onions until the are soft. Add in the frozen peas or corn and whatever herbs or spices you might want to use. Continue stirring occasionally and cook down until you just start to see some browning on the sides of a few of the veggies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Now remove it from the heat.

3. Add in the cooked carrots and the chopped meat and mix together.

Pour over  gravy to make a wet mix

4. Use the stock to make a gravy for the pie. Pour enough of the gravy over the meat and vegetables to make a rather wet mixture. Spoon this into your casserole dish. It should be big enough to hold all of the mixture and leave a half inch minimum from the top of the dish.

Spoon mix into casserole dish

5. Mash your cooked potatoes and spoon that over the top of the mixture.

You'll need enough potatoes mashed to cover the entire top of the casserole dish to a layer of at least 1/2 inch. I generally use 5 - 6 large potatoes for a 2-quart dish. You'll want to make a dry mash, so don't add any milk and just a small amount of butter when mashing as the mash will absorb some of the moisture from the meat mixture while cooking.

Spoon mash over the top

6. Spread the mash to cover the entire mix and seal it around the edges. Using a fork run across the top to rough up the surface then dot with a bit of butter and season with salt and pepper. This will give you crunchy bits on top.

Rough up the surface with a fork

7. Place on a baking tray to catch spills and bake in a moderately hot oven (Gas Mark 6/400f/200c) for 35 - 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and the filling is hot and bubbling.

8. Serve it hot. I like to make extra gravy to pour over the top of mine

Cooked shepherd's pie ready to eat