The Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Season the lamb shoulder generously with salt and pepper. Make small incisions in the meat and insert garlic slices and rosemary needles. Let it come to room temperature while you prepare.
2. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the lamb shoulder on all sides until deeply golden. This is not mere browning; it is building flavour. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pot, reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened and beginning to colour, about 8 minutes. The vegetables should be fragrant.
4. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble vigorously, scraping up all the caramelised bits from the bottom of the pot. This fond is flavour itself. Let the wine reduce by half.
5. Add the tinned tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, and remaining rosemary. Return the lamb to the pot. The liquid should come halfway up the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3-3½ hours, turning the lamb once halfway through. The meat should be fall-apart tender.
7. Remove the lamb to a serving platter and tent with foil. Strain the braising liquid, discarding the vegetables and aromatics. Return the liquid to the pot and simmer vigorously until reduced to a rich sauce.
8. Carve or pull the lamb into generous portions. Pour the sauce over the meat. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes or crusty bread to gather every drop.
9. At the table, serve with pride. This dish represents hours of your care, and it shows. The meat will be tender, the sauce deep and complex. This is provincial cooking at its finest.