Braised Lamb Shoulder

 Here are two recipes for slow cooked lamb. It is surprisingly delicious with a taste similar to the much more costly leg of lamb. These instructions are for oven braising, but you could use a slow cooker (crock pot). The slow cooker might take a little bit longer than the oven to get the same results.

Lamb in Wine Sauce

2 pound lamb shoulder (If you are feeding more than 4 people, you will need two of these.)
Olive oil
Onion
Mushrooms
Fish sauce (or anchovy paste)
Red wine
Orange juice
Curry powder
Ground Rosemary
Salt
Pepper


1. Drizzle a little olive oil over the lamb shoulder sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and a light dusting of curry powder. Cover with diced onion, pour about a half inch of water in the bottom of the pan, and bake in a 320 oven for 4 or 5 hours.

2. Chop 10 - 12 mushrooms into small pieces. Dice one medium sized onion.

3. Saute the onions and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, and add 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and 3/4 cup red wine. Add a teaspoon of fish sauce and a half teaspoon of ground Rosemary to this mixture and simmer slowly for a few minutes.

4. At hour 3, pour the wine sauce over the lamb shoulder and cook until the meat is falling off the bone and is very tender.

 Serve with rice, lentils, and acorn squash for a hearty winter meal.



Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

2 pound lamb shoulder (If you are feeding more than 4 people, you will need two of these.)
Olive oil
Garlic - regular or elephant
Fresh Rosemary
Curry powder
Salt
Pepper

Sides: red or white potatoes, small onions, carrots




1. Drizzle a little olive oil over the lamb shoulder and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and a light dusting of curry powder. Pour about a half inch of water in the bottom of the pan and bake in a 320 oven for 4 or 5 hours.

2. Dice one or two cloves of elephant garlic or 5 or 6 regular garlic cloves.

3. At hour three, baste the shoulder, and then cover with diced garlic and fresh Rosemary.

4.At hour 3.5, lay small unpeeled red or white potatoes, chunks of carrot, and 6 or 7 small onions around the roast. Salt and pepper the vegetables. These will take a little over an hour to cook at the low temperature.

Serve on your best platter, with Pinot Noir and candlelight, just for fun!

Rosemary is a hearty plant that can be grown indoors or outdoors. It requires little care and will be there for you when you want to add some to a soup, bread or meat dish. It is the secret to great tasting lamb dishes.

 Save your shoulder bones and scraps to make a delicious bone broth. Throw the scraps into a pot of water with a little salt, some more Rosemary and a bit of tamarind. Simmer on low for several hours. Strain the broth through a metal sieve and use the clear broth for lentil soup or lamb stew if you have enough meat left over.

Marry the one who gives you the same feeling you get when you see your food coming at a restaurant.
(Lynn Rossetto Kasper attributed this to Anonymous, and I would never argue with her.)