Rosemary and Thyme Braised Lamb Shoulder
4.8
(13)
Active Time
30 minutes
Total Time
4 1/2 hours
Lamb is traditionally served at Easter in Italy as well as many other countries. Although author Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez grew up with the roasted legs of lamb prepared by her mother and grandmother, she prefers to braise a lamb shoulder. The meat turns out so tender and succulent that it's impossible to slice with a carving knife. Instead, it's pulled with a meat fork into moist, rich chunks. Depending on where you live, lamb shoulder may require a special order so be sure to allow time for a butcher to request it.
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
For lamb:
For sauce:
Equipment:
Preparation
Roast lamb:
Step 1
Make slits in lamb shoulder all over at 2-inch intervals with a paring knife.
Step 2
Pound garlic with kosher salt, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to a coarse paste with mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife), then stir together with oil and 1 tablespoon each of rosemary and thyme. Rub paste all over lamb. Put in heavy pot or roasting pan, then chill, covered, 12 to 24 hours.
Step 3
Bring roast to room temperature (about 1 hour).
Step 4
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third.
Step 5
Pour wine and water around lamb and add herb sprigs. Cover roast with a sheet of parchment. Cover pot with lid or cover roasting pan tightly with heavy-duty foil. Braise lamb in oven until tender but not falling off the bone, about 3 hours.
Step 6
Increase oven to 450°F and remove parchment, then braise lamb, covered with lid (or foil), until very tender and top is browned, about 1 hour more. Carefully transfer lamb to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Let it stand 10 minutes.
Make sauce:
Step 7
Pour braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, then spoon off and discard fat remaining on liquid (you should have about 2 cups liquid; reserve pot). Whisk together flour and 1 cup liquid in a small bowl until smooth. Bring remaining liquid to a boil in uncleaned pot, then whisk in flour mixture and boil, whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.
To serve:
Step 8
Remove and discard strings. Meat is too tender to slice with a carving knife; use a meat fork to pull meat into serving pieces.
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Reviews (13)
Back to TopMade this for Easter dinner and it was the best lamb I've ever had. Marinated for only 4 hours, otherwise followed the recipe. Cooked it in a Dutch oven, and put the parchment directly on the meat, under the lid, for the first 3 hours in the oven. Only ended up with about 1 cup of liquid after cooking, but the sauce wasn't really necessary, as the meat was moist, very tender and flavorful. The whole family loved it!
lccmalone
Paris, France
4/13/2020
This is fabulous! Made it for Easter last year and plan to make it again this year. Question: Can I make it w/a boneless leg and adjust the cook time?
bevsi
Boston
4/8/2019
I made this recipe last year and have been thinking about it ever since. It was so flavorable. Every bite made me stop and savor the flavors. I added gold potatos, carrots and onoins for the last hour of roasting. I finally have another lamb shoulder in the oven and am so excited to eat this meal again.
amyhaggart
Durango
3/26/2018
Hello, do I place the parchment directly onto the roast? Thanks, Alysia
alyeliapp
Encino, CA
11/2/2017
Definitely a keeper! I followed the recipe exactly (no "excepts" :-) but mine didn't brown. I used a large All-Clad pot with a tight-fitting lid. Any suggestions? Still wonderful flavors. I ended up with over two cups of liquid making gravy with all of it. Served it with oven-browned potatoes and asparagus and a yummy red wine. Looking forward to leftovers tonight!
trudywarm
Seattle, WA
4/17/2017
This lamb is AWESOME!!! You can braise it for longer at 350, after a certain point the lamb only gets more tender. We made this in the middle of winter, so in the garlic paste we added 1/2 tbsp each of rosemary and thyme, replacing the fresh herbs. We had just over 1 cup of braising liquid left, so we made half the sauce. Oh, and we cooked some lamb shanks with the shoulder. All in all, a great recipe!
cinnamonbear8
Burnaby, BC
1/4/2017
This was excellent. I had a smaller shoulder roast, only 2.7 lbs, and I didn't have any twine or parchment on hand. I think this did affect the final result -- I only did 2 hours for the first roast and 30 minutes of the second, based on the "looks" of it falling off the bone. But I think it would have been even better (more tender/falling apart) if I had added more liquid and done the full roasting time. That said, the taste was still WONDERFUL and the sauce was amazing. This is honestly the best meat I have ever cooked.
eileen_meyer
Baltimore, MD
11/21/2016
I couldn't find lamb shoulder so I opted for Leg of Lamb instead. Not sure if this made it more likely to be dry, but unfortunately, mine turned out very dry. I cooked it for the exact time and exactly as the recipe said. I would say, though, that the sauce is so good that it added moisture back in and made the dish good. The rub is amazing and I would definitely try on a different type of roast again.
Anonymous
Sherman Oaks, CA
9/19/2016
Made this on Mothers day and it turned out better than I had anticipated. Followed recipe exactly. Would make again. Don't forget to make the sauce as well, it is well worth it and easy. Can't stop thinking about this. Meat just falls apart...mmmmmmm.
Anonymous
Seattle, WA
5/9/2016
I made this last week and my wife is still talking about it and asking when I will make it again. It was great weekend meal but would not hesitate to serve this to guests. We omitted the sauce step simply to save time and lessen the fat content and didn't feel it needed it. Served with backed cauliflower and grilled asparagus as sides and a glass of medium body red wine. Perfect meal.
mergs
Spokane, WA
4/27/2016
Wonderful and tasty dish! Only cooked for 2 hours at 350 before turning up temp (may have been smaller roast) with equally tender results. I threw in potatoes and carrots which absorbed the flavors of the wine and garlic and were amazing as well. Will definitely be my go to dish for Easter dinner in years to come!
parde
Lodi, WI
3/29/2016
The lamb came out beautifully but i wasn't able to make the sauce. Maybe I left the lamb in the oven too long and the juices had cooked too far down? I had about 1 1/2 c of juice left in the roast pan with TONS of yummy bits but maybe they had already cooked too long. When i tried to make the sauce, it never thickened and it just burned in the pan. Hmmm. I'm not that experienced of a cook so may someone can weigh in with her opinion... The meat was delicious and I will make it again but would really love to have the gravy as well.
benedetto
NYC
3/28/2016
This was easy make, and it was tasty and very moist. The only thing I did a bit differently was the roast it at 335 degrees instead of 350 (but did roast the final hour at 450 degrees. I also added in shallots and cut carrots. Very tasty!
klavon
Michigan
4/7/2015
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