Lamb shoulder is a great cut of meat, too often overlooked in favor of more costly lamb chops and leg of lamb. When cooked properly, it is succulent and tender. Yes, it has saturated fat, but at 4 ounces of lamb per serving, it’s not going to hurt and it will more than satisfy a meat craving. The spices and flavorings I use here are inspired by portugal, where they use garlic, oregano, and piri piri peppers for a terrific chicken dish. Lemon-infused olive oil and fresh lemon juice cut through the fattiness for a sprightly flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 lamb shoulder (2 pounds)
- ¼ cup lemon agrumato (lemon-infused olive oil)
- 15 cloves garlic, halved
- 1 cup fresh oregano leaves
- 20 piri piri chile peppers
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon paprika 1 lemon Juice
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a paring knife, make thirty 1-inch-deep, narrow slits all over the lamb. Rub the lamb all over with the lemon agrumato. Place the garlic, oregano, and piri piri chiles in the slits randomly. Rub the lamb liberally with the salt, black pepper, and paprika.
- Place the lamb in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Roast until the lamb is crusty on the outside and a thermometer inserted in the center registers 160°F for medium, about 4 hours. Drizzle the lemon juice over the lamb. To serve, thinly slice the lamb across the grain. Serve with some good crusty bread and some onions and peppers.