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Country Style Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb

INGREDIENTS
 
1 shoulder of lamb, square cut with the bone in
1 whole garlic bulb – cut in half to expose the cloves half on each side
A large bunch of fresh rosemary
Murray River salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Evilo Estate Clare Valley Olive Oil
 
METHOD
 
Preheat oven to 200oC+

Choose a high sided roasting dish or one with a lid, and lay lamb into it fat side up, and slash the fat side of the shoulder all over. Rub all over in oil, salt and pepper. Put part of the rosemary and garlic underneath, and the rest on top. Cover the roasting dish with tin foil or lid and put in to the oven, immediately turning the temp down to approx 170o C Cook the lamb for 4 hours. You can tell its done by putting a butter knife in gently and you can pull the meat apart easily. If its stringy or not falling apart, put it back in the oven with the lid/cover on for another 15 mins and check and do so until it falls apart.
 
When cooked, take the lamb shoulder out of the dish, and put on a resting board and cover with tin foil. Try not to have any cool air blowing on it – window open, fan, air con. You want to keep it warm. You can do this by putting a folded up old towel or tea towel over the top. Resting this type of meat should take at least 10 -20 minutes.
 
The quintessential pan juices 500 ml Home made chicken stock (if you can’t be bothered making it, the Campbells isn’t too bad – but better when you make your own. Freeze the water left over next time you do a poached or boiled  Chicken)  1tbsp Plain Flour or corn flour mixed in a little water 2tbsp Capers – chopped (I love caperberries too but if they’re salted capers, you must rinse them first) 1 bunch Fresh Mint leaves (you can also add a little sage and parsley here too) 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (you can also use raspberry vinegar but use a bit less)  Chop your herbs finely and put to one side. Pour most (not all!!) of the fat away from the pan juices in the roasting tray. Make sure there’s no chunks of garlic or rosemary stalks etc in there.
 
Put the tray on the stove, on high, and add the flour sprinkling it as best you can finely all over the dish into the juices and make a paste (i use a spatula or egg flip for this) once you’ve made a paste, and the pan is starting to get hot, gradually add the stock, half cup at a time stirring each time you add more until its well combined and has the same consistency over the whole pan. Use the spatula/egg flip to scrape the good bits off the bottom too – this is where the flavour comes from! Once you’ve put all the stock in, add the capers and turn down to cook the flour. Best to get it bubbling and work quickly by shaking and stirring the pan on the stove. We use an egg flip for this.
 
Finely chop the mint and add it to the pan juices, also add your vinegar at this time, but only 1tbsp first, then taste it just in case it doesn’t need another tbsp. Immediately pour into a jug to serve and keep warm. Serve with delicious steamed new potatoes tossed in parsley and butter (capers are good too) and a delicious array of summer salads – and don’t forget some crusty bread to mop up the juices!
 
Beware the webber – if you’re not used to slow cooking using a webber, don’t use it the first time with your shoulder as I’ve found that it can taste like heat beads or the wood you are using. Get the nack with something like a pork roast that can afford to be a little more well done than most meats. I find it easier just to use the oven and be in complete control!!