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Photograph by A. Schloss |
Where do all the lamb shoulders go? This super-succulent cut used to be commonplace and irresistibly inexpensive, but now most markets can't get them at any price. One would think they would be plentiful (for every leg of lamb there has to be a shoulder, unless modern lamb anatomy has been altered). So when our neighborhood co-op told me they were getting in a whole lamb and asked what cut I wanted - my response was immediate -shoulder, both of them, and Mike threw in the breast bones, since nobody else wanted those delicious spindly ribs.
The lamb was "apple-finished"; which I had heard of in pork, but never lamb. Letting pasture grazed
animals feed on apple drops and fruit that is
thinned during the summer is an heirloom practice that is still done on small multi-purpose farms. The fruit produces fat
that is particularly sweet and mild.
There is a fool-proof recipe for lamb shanks in Cooking Slow (page 74-75) that introduces za’atar (the classic Arab spice blend of thyme, sumac, and sesame) to oven-dried tomatoes (page 50) - one of the best things you can do with a bumper crop of tomatoes
or to transform greenhouse tomatoes into soft sweet-tart morsels. The recipe in the book calls for 4 lbs lamb
shanks on the bone, since the shoulders I got were about the same weight and a
close enough cut in toughness and anatomical proximity I decided to revamp my old standby with my new purchase.
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Photograph by A. Schloss |
Because slow cooked meats benefit from a few hours of
seasoning before cooking, and because I hadn't picked the lamb up until late in
the afternoon on Saturday I decided to season it and rest it in the
refrigerator overnight so that I’d be able to give it all day Sunday in the
oven.
One more shift before I start cooking – no sumac– so I
switched out the za’atar for some Tunisian Fire Chef Salt. I manufacture Chef
Salt so I always have it around and Tunisian Fire is deliciously exotic, a
blend of caraway, coriander, cardamom, saffron, piri-piri peppers, and a
moist crunchy Mediterranean sea salt. How
could I go wrong?
Tunisian Slow-Baked Lamb Shoulder
with Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Makes 4 servings
3 tbsp Tunisian Fire Chef Salt
4 lb lamb shoulder on the bone
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, coarsely shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup/240 ml full-bodied red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet
1 cup/240 ml good-quality low-sodium beef broth
1/2 recipe (about 2 cups) Oven-Dried Tomatoes (recipe
follows)
Rub half of the spice mixture over the lamb and set aside
for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate it overnight. Don’t cover it.
Preheat the oven to 225°F/110°C.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil over
medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the lamb and cook, turning as
needed, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to
a plate.
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Photograph by A. Schloss |
Return the meat to the pot along with any juices that
accumulated on the plate. Add the tomatoes, cover, and bake until fork tender, anywhere
from 5 to 8 hours, depending on your schedule.
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Photograph by A. Schloss |
You will now have 2 or 3 hunks of meat. Slice them across
their grains into 1/2 inch thick slices. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid,
and serve the sliced meat with sauce and tomatoes.
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Photograph by A. Schloss |
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours
Store: for up to 4 days, covered in the refrigerator. Reheat
gently in a low oven.
Variation: In a Slow Cooker
Season and brown the shoulder and make the sauce in the Dutch
oven as directed in the recipe.
Transfer to a 6-qt/5.7-l slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the meat and top with
the tomatoes. Cook fore 4 to 5 hours on high, 6 to 8 hours on low.
this looks so delicious that i can not help swooning. i was just thinking about treating myself with fancy dinner and just then i stumbled upon this recipe. i am sure it will turn out great
ReplyDeleteLamb has always been my favourite and this seems heaven! My taste buds can actually feel it hahaha I m definitely trying this as soon as possible.
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