Slow-Braised Lamb Shoulder

Slow-Braised Lamb Shoulder

⏱ 4 hours 🍽 6 serves

Time is the prism through which this lamb shoulder passes, refracting from dense muscle into something luminous and tender. Each hour in the oven splits the proteins like light through crystal—what enters tough emerges as silk. The wine and stock create wavelengths of flavour that penetrate deep, the aromatics bending and breaking down resistance until the meat yields completely. This is cooking as transformation, where patience reveals the full spectrum of what lamb can become.

Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Score the lamb shoulder fat in a crosshatch pattern and season generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb shoulder on all sides until deeply golden, about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside.
  3. In the same pot, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until softening, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  4. Pour in the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. Let it bubble for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
  5. Add the tinned tomatoes, stock, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return the lamb to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. The liquid should come halfway up the lamb.
  6. Cover tightly with lid or foil and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3½ to 4 hours, turning the lamb once halfway through, until the meat is fall-apart tender.
  7. Remove the lamb carefully to a serving platter and tent with foil to rest.
  8. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid. If desired, simmer on the stovetop to reduce into a richer sauce.
  9. Shred the lamb gently (it should fall apart easily) and serve with the vegetables and sauce spooned over. Perfect with creamy mashed potatoes or soft polenta.

Nutrition

485
Calories
42g
Protein
12g
Carbs
28g
Fat