# Shoulder of Lamb?!?!



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Last night we had a dinner party and I served up a lamb recipe out of Jamie at Home's book for shoulder of lamb. I had never used this cut before and I was a bit nervous as it seemed like there were random ribs and bones sticking up everywhere. Fortunately it was not expensive (2.69/lb) and so I went for it. 

Let me tell you this lamb was amazing and I'm not a big fan of lamb. Now I know what they mean when they say eaten with a spoon! Here's the method: Salt, pepper, and a little olive rubbed on the lamb. Lay it in a deepset roasting pan on top of lots of garlic cloves and rosemary springs and lay a few garlics and rosemary on top too. Cover tightly with foil and place in a 500preheated oven. Immediately lower the temp to 325 and leave it in there for 4 hours.

Amazing! Seriously I served up the lamb with a spoon haha. The roast released about an inch of liquid, so I seperated and discarded the fat. Then I added a little flour, red wine, capers, and some fresh mint and reduced it and served as a gravy.


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Interesting timing on your post, Mapiva.

My son called the other night because he was going to prepare a lamb shoulder using a specific recipe. His butcher had them as you describe, with the riblets attached. His butcher insisted that was the standard cut. Which sounded strange to me, so I did some research. 

Turns out, the standard lamb shoulder cut, at least in the U.S., consists of three parts: the riblets (which can number 3-7), the blade, and the arm. That would be comparable, on a human, to the riblets, the actual shoulder, and the joint extending from the shoulder to the elbow.

Who'd a thunk it? I had always thought the "shoulder" and the "blade" were the same cut.

Naturally, all three parts can be subdivided and modified. For instance, you could have the butcher prepare a boneless arm roast, if that was your desire. 

FWIW, based on texture and fat-to-meat ratios, a leg of lamb can substitute in many lamb shoulder recipes.


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## rpmcmurphy (Jan 8, 2008)

I'm a new fan of Lamb. Coming clean, I've only first ate it on sunday (when I cooked it!) and it was great. 

I hear that Lamb neck is awesome too!


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## amazingrace (Jul 28, 2006)

We love lamb any which way at my house. In 1998, my dear mother came to live with us. Before Easter in 1999, my daughter and I were talking about the holiday menu, and I said I would buy the lamb. Mom spoke up and declared in no uncertain terms that she hated lamb, and would not eat it. period. I said "That's okay, we'll have ham too". She relaxed. Easter Sunday we were all around the table, and everyone is remarking how good the lamb was. So Mom said she would like to have a taste, because it didn't smell the way she remembered lamb smelling. One taste, and she was hooked! She asked for more. The next year, Mom announced that she thought we should have lamb again on Easter, and that she wanted to buy it no matter what it cost. We did a little homework and figured out that Mom had never actually had lamb...what she remembered was really mutton, which is older, and has a much stronger taste. 

I know this has nothing to do with the lamb shoulder discussion, but I was reminded of my Mom, and how she enjoyed lamb once she finally knew how it really tastes.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

We eat a lot of lamb in the UK. Traditionally, it is eaten at Easter (lamb of god history!) - 

It is a versatile meat - we use it in soups (eg Scotch broth), in casseroles, in hotpots (eg Lancashire Hotpot), in traditional Sunday roasts, served with mint sauce - and I love to cook it en papillote with a redcurrant sauce.

I also forgot to mention that it is a staple for the traditional water-crust mutton pie (now usually called a Scotch pie). 

Interestingly, mutton is making a comeback on menus. It can sometimes be a little strong in taste for some people - which is one of the reasons that its use diminished over the past 30 plus years.


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