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5.0 from 9 votes

Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder

Deliciously tender with the right amount of spice aroma, this slow roast lamb shoulder is a perfect choice for any gatherings with your loved ones. Be it a Sunday roast or any festive celebrations such as Christmas or Easter. And you can make the best lamb gravy out of its roasting juices. 

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
19 mins
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 883 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: British

Ingredients

  • 1.6-1.8 kg/ 3.5-4 lbs full lamb shoulder.
  • 7 garlic cloves.
  • 2 medium carrots approximately 200 gr/ 0.44 lbs.
  • 2 tsp dry parsley.
  • 1 tsp dry mint.
  • ½ tsp dry red chilli flakes.
  • ¼ nutmeg.
  • 40 green cardamoms.
  • ½ tsp whole cloves.
  • ½ tsp whole black peppercorns.
  • 1-1 ½ tsp Himalayan salt see the note.
  • 3 small red onions.
  • 3- inch cinnamon quill.
  • ¼ Balsamic vinegar.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil.
  • 1 cup of water.

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Get your lamb ready by discarding the grizzle and unnecessary fat. Rinse and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Set aside.
  2. Finely mince garlic and chop the carrots into small pieces. Mix the garlic, carrots, parsley, mint and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Set aside. 
  3. Preheat the oven to gas 7/ 220°C/ 425°F.
  4. Take the seeds of green cardamoms out and put them in a spice grinder together with cloves, black peppercorns, and nutmeg. Grind them all until smooth. Then mix the ground spices with salt. Set aside.
  5. Peel and slice the onions.
  6. Arrange the onion slices on your roasting tin and drizzle the olive oil over them.
  7. Make slits across the lamb and rub the ground spices all over the lamb. Ensure you put the spice mix inside the slits and the bone part.
  8. Place the lamb on the onion slices, and put the carrots mix on top of the meat. Try to cover all the surfaces as best you can. 
  9. Pour the balsamic vinegar all over the lamb and put the cinnamon quill on the top. 
  10. Put the roasting tin in the middle of the oven. And cook at a gas 7/ 220°C/ 425°F for 30 minutes or more. Depend on how crispy and brown you want the meat to be. 
  11. Take the lamb out and pour water all over the meat. Cover the tin with aluminium foil and put it back in the oven. This time, lower the gas to 4/ 180°C/ 350°F and continue roasting for another 4 hours. 

Notes

  • You can always use ready grounded spices. If you do so, half the proportion of each spice in the recipe. As for green cardamom, it should be equal to 1 tablespoon of ground green cardamom. 
  • I almost always use pink Himalayan salt these days. I don’t find the saltiness is much different from table salt. So feel free to add more or less salt according to your taste. 
  • As for chilli flakes, the amount suggested in this recipe is just enough to give the chilli flavour without adding the heat kick. So you’re more than welcome to add more chilli flakes if you prefer. 
  • Unlike some recipes, I don’t use any stock for the roast. Simply because the lamb has intense flavour already. So I don’t find it necessary to mix its flavour with a stock. And by adding the water, we actually make the stock that naturally comes out of the lamb. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 883kcal (44%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 128g (256%) Fat 36g (55%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 19g Cholesterol 406mg (135%) Sodium 680mg (28%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 883

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 883kcal 44%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 128g 256%
Fat 36g 55%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 19g 112%
Cholesterol 406mg 135%
Sodium 680mg 28%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.