Slow-Braised Lamb Shoulder

This is the kind of cooking that suits the outback — slow, patient, unhurried. You put the lamb in the oven when the sun's high, and by the time the light turns golden-red across the horizon, it's ready. The meat falls apart with a fork, tender as anything. It's the sort of meal you'd cook in a camp oven if you had one, buried in coals overnight. Here we use wine and tomatoes, herbs from the garden, and time. Lots of time. That's the secret. Good things don't rush, not out here.

Ingredients

2kg lamb shoulder, bone-in
4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 brown onions, roughly chopped
3 carrots, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, chopped
400ml red wine
400g tinned tomatoes
500ml beef or lamb stock
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160°C. Pat the lamb dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the lamb on all sides until deeply browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it bubble for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, stock, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return the lamb to the pot. Liquid should come halfway up the lamb.
Cover with a tight lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3.5 to 4 hours, turning once halfway, until the meat is fall-apart tender.
Remove from oven, skim any excess fat from the surface. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with the braising vegetables and sauce spooned over. Perfect with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Slow-Braised Lamb Shoulder

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition (per serve)