Lamb Shoulder: Tips & Techniques

[Sackville]

I just roasted my first lamb shoulder and it tasted wonderful but was a pain to carve. How would I go about boning it before cooking next time?

[jackal10]

No pix - I'll take some next time.

Basically follow the bones round with a sharp boning knife.

The blade bone is flat one side but has a ridge on the other.

You end up sort of with two pockets, one from each bone.

Good idea to take the tough skin off as well.

[Pontormo]

James Peterson's Essentials of Cooking has very detailed photographed section on butchering lamb, including the saddle.

I bought my copy remaindered fairly recently and still see lots of PB copies of the book on sale around town.

Edited to add: Just checked. The section on lamb covers: leg (including removal of shank),

the rack (separating, trimming, "Frenching", cutting into chops); and trimming & roasting a saddle, including carving the latter. I don't see references to a rolled shoulder roast.

Edited November 10, 2005 by Pontormo (log)

[francois]

It's true that lamb shoulers are a painto carve. I much prefer them boned. It goes fairly well. Just arm yourself with patience, a good knife and go slowly. No pictures necessary. Look at the shoulder, imagine the bone structure and it should turn out well.

[BarbaraY]

Some years ago our market had lamb shoulder on special at a very good price. Our stores here always saw the meat into slices and then tie it all back together making a very nasty excuse for a roast. It always gets protein globs between the slices and is just plain disgusting.

I asked the butcher for one that hadn't been sliced and he brought it out and asked, in a sarcastic tone, if I was going to cook it till it fell off the bone.

I told him I was going to bone it and he said he was glad it was me doing it.

Needless to say he is no longer working there.

I have Merle Ellis' "Cutting up in the Kitchen" which gives detailed instructions. I won't say it is easy to do but it is mostly time consuming.

Don't slice open your thumb like I did once, though.

[YoChefGregg]

Boning Inst's

These pictures make the process look more difficult than it really is.

Once you've done it, it'll be a piece of cake,,,,,,uh,,,boned leg of lamb.

Edited November 11, 2005 by YoChefGregg (log)

[Anna N]

Can a lamb shoulder be so very different from a pork shoulder? Deboning a pork shoulder.

[jackal10]

The things I do for eGullet.

Here is how I bone and stuff a shoulder of lamb. It may not be the best way, but it works for me.

Take one full shoulder of lamb:

I've drawn on roughly where the bones are: the flat shoulder blade (scapula), the upper arm and the lower arm. Note the projection of the equivalent of the elbow. The top of the shoulderblade has a ridge rubbing down it.

The other side. Using a sharp small boning knife (this one is a my favourite full carbon steel "au carbonne" Sabatier) start at the flat side of the scapula, where it meets the edge of the joint.

Roll back the meat like a sock. The top side has a ridge of bone running along it.

Soon you will reach the shoulder and have to turn though a right angle.

Continue down the upper arm, Its worth remembering that the muscle bundles are attached by cartilage at the top and bottom of the bones, co cutting round the end of the bone beneath the joint frees them. Getting round the elbow is a bit tricky, you can just give up and cut it off, and stuff the spare meat inside.

Pretty soon you will have it done. Tidy up and cut off any hard bits of sinew of large pieces of fat. Since its going to be stuffed and rolled it is pretty forgiving, and doesn't mater if it looks a mess at this stage. Just don't cut yourself.

You might like to trim off the tough outer skin as well.

Stuff with your favourite forcemeat. This is sausagemeat plus softened onion plus parsley plus pepper. Tie up into a neat shape. Some people tie into a round pillow shape, but I find that awkward to carve. The stuffing when it cooks and sets will hold everything together, and you can use it to fill any inadvertent holes.

Ready for the oven. Shoulder is quite tough meat, with lots of connective tissue, so long and slow does it. I'd recommend about 8 hours at around 75C/160F aiming for an internal temperature of 60C/140F. Failing that bung it in a hot oven for two hours, and then let it sit in a warm place for half an hour. Lamb is pretty forgiving stuff.

Lots of uses for leftovers, if any. Shepherds pie, Irish stew, mince and used in a lasagna to name a few.

Edited November 12, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[BarbaraY]

Very good demonstration, jackal10. Much clearer than drawings.

And yes it is similar to boning a pork shoulder.

I think it's wonderful that these two cuts that are reasonably priced make such lovely braised dishes.

[Tepee]

The things I do for eGullet.

Here is how I bone and stuff a shoulder of lamb. It may not be the best way, but it works for me.....

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LOL, and the things you inspire me to do just by looking at your demos....

Thanks, Jack.

[Sackville]

WOW!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do that for me! I can't say how much it is appreciated

I am running out to Waitrose tomorrow to get a shoulder of lamb so I can try this for the first time.

Big thanks again

[jackal10]

The tardy guest gets the cold shoulder...

[Sackville]

The tardy guest gets the cold shoulder...

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If I promise not to be tardy, can I come for dinner? Please, please, can I???!?

[Tepee]

So........do you want a piece of the shoulder or not? Only a tardy one gets it.

[Sackville]

So........do you want a piece of the shoulder or not? Only a tardy one gets it. 

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I want a piece, I just don't want a cold shoulder I'm on my way!

[phlawless]

does anyone have this book?

I watched her show yesterday and she did these with roasted acorn squash salad. Well, I bought a couple of these big fat amazing chops this morning, and thought I could just look up the recipe on line but it's no where to be found, only mentioned. Can anyone help me out?

[phlawless]

no need now...I just went ahead and winged it. I mainly wanted to know the oven temp and cook time, I don't think these can be that tempermental.

[jfilmm]

I have a nice lamb shoulder, with bone (about 5 or 6 lbs.) I was thinking of roasting it at about 325F with a spicy baste. I keep finding conflicting information about what my internal temp should be when I remove it from the oven. I have seen suggestions range from 120F - 165F for medium-rare. What gives?

Edited November 3, 2006 by jfilmm (log)

[jackal10]

Lamb is very tolerant.

You can roast it rare at 58C/130F or take it all the way to 75C/165F.

These are two different styles, so you should be at one temperature or the other rather than in the middle

Since shoulder has a lot of connective tissue hold at your desired temperature for 8 hours so the collagen softens.

My personal choice would be to bone and stuff it, then cook at 60C/140F or thereabouts for 8 hours

[Franci]

For my personal taste I prefer to braise the shoulder, of any animal. It is tougher and has more collagen than the leg, that's to say that will not suffer longer cooking.

If it is a lamb shoulder steak though, I don't mind putting on the grill.

For the leg I keep it at 150 F. Something in the middle. 160 is well done but not dry.

Edited November 3, 2006 by Franci (log)

[Corinna Dunne]

My personal choice would be to bone and stuff it, then cook at 60C/140F or thereabouts for 8 hours

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Sounds lovely. What do you normally use for stuffing?

[jackal10]

Stuffings for boned shoulder:

Sausagemeat plus softened onion and white pepper

or

Bread/breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, bound with egg (the bread adsorbs the fat)

Need to cook this over 62C to set.

Season well.

Also trim off the "bark" - the tough membrane covering the meat

Edited November 3, 2006 by jackal10 (log)

[jfilmm]

Perhaps I'll bone it after all. What a drag. Now on the something to stuff it with...

[Rua]

Rice, lamb mince and cinnamon? Maybe add some peppers, garlic and cashews too.

[jfilmm]

Unfortunately I don't think I can bone this thing (unless I cut it into small pieces or chops.) It seems to be the upper part of the shoulder with more than a few ribs. Am I better off roasting this as a whole or attempting to make chops out of it?