For me, a lamb shoulder always manages to be both deeply comforting and completely packed with flavour at the same time.
Lamb shoulder is made for slow cooking – give it time and it turns meltingly tender, the kind you can pull apart with barely any effort. All that marbling breaks down into richness, so every bite is juicy and full, never dry.
Then come the flavours. Sam Burke, the corporate chef from Meat & Livestock Australia has infused this lamb with an incredible Asian-style master stock. Think soy, garlic, spring onion, ginger, Chinese cooking wine and a little dark brown sugar for subtle sweetness, which soak right into the meat as it cooks. The hours in the oven culminate in a wonderful savoury depth of flavour.
Some of the master stock is then thickened into a glaze and poured over the lamb to bake some more and caramelise, creating sticky edges and a gorgeous glossy finish.
I love that once it’s in the oven the lamb mostly takes care of itself. It’s the kind of dish that feels impressive enough for a crowd but relaxed enough that you’re not stuck in the kitchen. It’s built for sharing, and everyone will want the recipe.
WINE PAIRING: Pair this Asian lamb shoulder with aromatic, medium-to-full-bodied reds to complement the sweet, savoury and fatty flavours. Top choices include Australian Shiraz (for spice and pepper), Tempranillo (for savoury herbs), or a juicy Grenache. A slightly chilled, savoury Pinot Noir or a dry, spicy Riesling can also work, especially if serving the lamb with salad.
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Slow-Roasted Asian Lamb Shoulder
Recipe by Sam Burke, Corporate Chef, Meat u0026 Livestock Australia
For Sam, there is no better sharing dish than a lamb shoulder. And, when it looks this good, we agree wholeheartedly.
6
servings30
minutes4
hours35
minutes50
minsIngredients
3 tbs 1/5 cup canola oil
5 kg 11 lb oyster cut lamb shoulder
1 1 brown onion, finely sliced
6 6 spring onions, diagonally sliced
2 2 celery stalks, diagonally sliced
Your choice of Asian-style vegetables, to serve
- Master stock
2 tbs 6 tsp canola oil
4 4 garlic cloves. crushed
3 cm 3 cm piece ginger, thickly sliced
1/4 bunch 1/4 bunch spring onions, trimmed, cut into 5cm lengths
1/2 bunch 1/2 bunch coriander, including roots and stems
2 2 cinnamon sticks
4 4 star anise
150 ml 5/8 cup shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine)
275 ml 1 1/6 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
Method
- Lightly coat lamb shoulder with 1 tbs oil, then stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (see notes).
- To make the master stock, heat remaining oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, spring onion, coriander, cinnamon and star anise. Cook stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until nicely caramelised. Stir in shaoxing wine to deglaze the pan, then add soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining oil a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, spring onion and celery. Cook vegetables, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened and slightly caramelised. Arrange vegetables a large, deep roasting pan.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Heat the same pan over medium-high heat, then add lamb shoulder, skin-side down, and cook for 5 minutes or until well caramelised. Turn over and sear the other side for 5 minutes. Place lamb on top of vegetables. Pour over the stock. Cover the pan with baking paper, then foil and roast for 3 1/2 hours.
- Transfer lamb shoulder to a clean baking pan. Remove 1 cup of the master stock from the pan with the vegetables and strain into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes or until thickened to a glaze.
- Pour glaze over the lamb shoulder and return lamb to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through and the meat pulls apart easily. Remove the lamb from the oven to rest for 20 minutes before serving with vegetables.
Notes
- Standing the lamb for 30 minutes helps to bring the meat to room temperature so that it cooks through more evenly. Otherwise, the outside would cook much quicker than the fridge-cold inside.
- If you like, you can make the master stock ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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