Low and slow lamb shoulder ...

[ChrisTaylor]

One of my favourite things is dumpling a lamb shoulder into a pot with a splash of white wine, some herbs and maybe some pearl onions and garlic, covering it and sitting it in a slow oven for a few hours (think that classic seven hour leg of lamb recipe, just using a different cut). I've just moved house and now have access to an oven that goes as long as 50*C without me having to prop open the door.

This weekend coming, a friend is coming over and I've promised to cook them roast lamb. I'm wondering what the best way to cook a ~1kg piece of lamb shoulder is. Should I leave it uncovered in, say, a 65* oven for a long time? Would I be best to drop it into a pot with/without some kind of liquid (stock or wine or just a smear of olive oil) and cover it? Would it be best to set the oven to, say, 65* and use an oven bag? Thoughts? Should I bother brining it? This works really well, in my experience, with chicken but I've never tried it with red meat.

I'm not looking at marinading it. The flavouring is going to be no more than maybe garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper and, at the very end, a little bit of lemon juice (to cut through the fattiness of the meat).

[Dave Hatfield]

I recommend just putting it in a 65C oven for 5-7 hours with just salt, pepper & rubbed rosemary on top. Add some whole peeled garlic cloves about halfway through.

You can also add any vegetables (carrots, onions, parsnips) about the same time.

It will be delicious & just fall off the bone.

We've been doing it this way for years & its hard to beat.

Our friend Rob's ewes are lambing now so we'll have fresh lamb before long so we can have out slow roast shoulder. Can hardly wait!

[Blether]

Do salt in advance - long in advance (a couple of days anyway, for a piece that size) if you can, aiming as a starting point for 0.5% by weight. (I can't get my head round using the word 'brining' for salting. A brine is water with salt dissolved in it). To my mind brining is a lot of unnecessary fuss & difficulty, compared to salting, but as you like.

[Doodad]

This thread got me thinking. Could you smoke a lamb shoulder like a pork shoulder and make pulled lamb?

[Andrew Fenton]

This thread got me thinking. Could you smoke a lamb shoulder like a pork shoulder and make pulled lamb?

Sure! Barbecued lamb is very good. I've smoked it before (but only to slicing temperature, not pulling temperature.)

[Blether]

Pulled lamb is very big in Turkey, isn't it ?

[nolnacs]

This thread got me thinking. Could you smoke a lamb shoulder like a pork shoulder and make pulled lamb?

Sure! Barbecued lamb is very good. I've smoked it before (but only to slicing temperature, not pulling temperature.)

Yes, it's delicious! Lamb (traditionally mutton) barbecue is a sadly unappreciated regional (Kentucky) type of barbecue. It is usually served with black sauce which is primarily comprised of vinegar and worcestershire sauce

[ChrisTaylor]

I recommend just putting it in a 65C oven for 5-7 hours with just salt, pepper & rubbed rosemary on top. Add some whole peeled garlic cloves about halfway through.

You can also add any vegetables (carrots, onions, parsnips) about the same time.

It will be delicious & just fall off the bone.

We've been doing it this way for years & its hard to beat.

Our friend Rob's ewes are lambing now so we'll have fresh lamb before long so we can have out slow roast shoulder. Can hardly wait!

You don't cover it at all?

[thirtyoneknots]

Following, roughly, the method for making pulled pork I have just within the last hour put two brined and rubbed lamb shoulders on the smoker to eventually become (I hope) pulled lamb. Brined for 8 hours (I would have liked to go longer but time would not allow) with Herbsaint, a very fennel-heavy pastis. Rubbed with a mix of about 3-4 parts ras al hanout to 1 part harissa powder, and now in the smoker with post oak chips. If I have the presence of mind I'll take pictures when it comes out and post them here, but as with any outdoors cooking in gorgeous weather, beverages will be consumed so no promises.

Planned sides are ratatouille and the salade de choux rouge from James Petersen's Glorious French Food (basically a coleslaw with nut oil vinaigrette). Now off to make buns.

[Blether]

That sounds fantastic.

[ChrisTaylor]

I ended up following the '70 degrees, oven for 7' hours method, although I covered the shoulder in foil. It was nice but I think I can ratchet it up a bit next time. Some things I'd like to experiment with:

• really cutting back on the amount of time the shoulder is at, say, 150*--I want the skin a bit crisp but I don't want to lose all the moisture
  
• maybe raising the temp a little bit and, instead of truly roasting, gently steaming the lamb shoulder with white wine or stock
  
• exactly what I did ... with some brining, just like 31knots'
  

[Tom Gengo]

Pulled lamb is very big in Turkey, isn't it ?

Is that anything like turducken? JK

[thirtyoneknots]

Pleased as punch with how the lamb came out, the smoke boosted the lambiness without competing with it and while none of the spices or brine flavors were apparent I have to assume that they were supporting flavors that would have been missed. Time constraints forced me to take it off after about 8.5 hours rather than the ten I wanted to do but it was still great. For the last hour and a half I threw a red bell pepper in the smoker along with the meat and used it in a Harissa-honey bbq sauce that went very well indeed with the meat. As did the series of Syrahs we opened to guzzle with dinner.

We did take some pictures but I can't find the cord from my camera right now so I'm not sure when I'll be able to post them. Oops.

I can't believe I'd be the first person to think of this, and yet I couldn't really find anything concrete about the practice via Google. The famous Southside Market here in Elgin, TX does mutton ribs, but while delicious it comes out almost completely unlike what I made last night.

[Andrew Fenton]

I can't believe I'd be the first person to think of this, and yet I couldn't really find anything concrete about the practice via Google.

Owensboro, KY is the center of mutton barbecue. I've been to the Moonlite BBQ there: it's very good.

[chileheadmike]

I can't believe I'd be the first person to think of this, and yet I couldn't really find anything concrete about the practice via Google.

Owensboro, KY is the center of mutton barbecue. I've been to the Moonlite BBQ there: it's very good.

I've recently moved to Lexington KY. The barbecued mutton at Billy's is very good. Sandwich has pickle and red onion on it. If it's better in Owensboro, it's worth the 3 hour drive each way.

I've barbecued lamb shanks before. Usually for Easter.

Marinate in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, white wine, S&P.

Smoke over olive branches for a few hours.

[thirtyoneknots]

I can't believe I'd be the first person to think of this, and yet I couldn't really find anything concrete about the practice via Google.

Owensboro, KY is the center of mutton barbecue. I've been to the Moonlite BBQ there: it's very good.

Yeah I've had bbq mutton ribs and they were great. But never pulled shoulder like this.