This simple roasted boneless lamb shoulder is a delicious alternative to a big Sunday roast. The smaller boned and rolled shoulders will cook way quicker than the bigger roast, and the accompanying hummus and roasted carrots don’t take long to prepare at all. More time for wine and relaxation 😉
sponsored by Mollydooker Wines, Mclaren Vale
I first made this dish about 4 years ago when my parents visited from Ireland. That time, I roasted the shoulder whole for a large get-together. As time has gone on I have found cooking these little boneless lamb shoulders is way easier and they each feed 2 people so its #winwin
Lamb
Lamb is one of my favourite proteins to use. I have to say I really miss the lamb from back home. Where is home, you ask? Good question, currently it’s Brisbane, but my beautiful wife and I grew up in Dublin, Ireland. You really can’t beat the lamb from Ireland. It gets to roam free and snack on the herbs and plants in its natural environment. It really does add so much natural flavour to the meat. Just over 5 years ago we moved from NYC to BrisVegas. Having recently bought a house here and with Little Miss AnotherFoodBlogger nearly finished her first year in school it looks like we are here to stay! The lamb here is awesome, but I’m sorry to say not as good as at home. But certainly a lot better than the lamb roaming the streets of NY!!
What Cut Of Lamb To Use?
Truthfully, you can use any cut for this dish. The beauty of the accompaniments they work really well with pretty much any cut.
Anything you can roast, grill or pan-fry pretty much works. Think cuts like
- shoulder – you can roast the whole shoulder or use smaller boned and rolled roasts like I have in the images
- leg – roasted whole or grilled butterflied, the leg is a great option with less fat than the shoulder
- chops – simply grilled on your BBQ with salt and pepper
- cutlets – pan fried or grilled is the go here!
- backstrap/loin – looking for the rolls royce of cuts, choose this for date night or when to impress the boss!
- rump – an excellent underused cut. Can be roasted if the fat cap is still on or pan-fried/grilled if removed.
The one I would probably give a miss would be lamb mince – best used for burgers, koftas or some shepherd’s pie in my opinion!
Cooking Roasted Boneless Lamb Shoulder
The beauty of these little boneless lamb shoulders are
- they cook quicker
- you can fit more of them in the oven
- easy roast dinner for 2 people
- if guests like their lamb cooked more you can please everyone!
So, when it comes to cooking them, you pretty much just treat them like a roast! Here are the steps I took when cooking them and a few other tips too
- Remove from the fridge 15 minutes prior to cooking – this allows the meat to come to room temperature and helps to cook it more evenly
- Salt – be generous with sprinkling the salt on
- Sear the lamb – because we aren’t roasting it for very long, it’s a good idea to sear/brown the outer fat
- Pop it into the oven for approx 20mins
- Remove & rest – this is just as important as cooking it to the right temperature!
What To Serve With Roasted Boneless Lamb Shoulder
You’ve done all the hard work so far. Now all you need to do is get it over the finish line. This roasted boneless lamb shoulder needs some EPIC sides to go with it and I’ve got you covered with a few of my favourites that are so simple to make.
For this lamb shoulder dish I served it with a delicious homemade lemony hummus, some simple roasted carrots that I hit with a little honey at the end, toasted almonds for some texture and a delicious gremolata for freshness and acidity.
Check out how I prepared them all below!
Wine Pairing
It wouldn’t be a recipe without a good old wine paring, now would it? You may recognize these wines from previous recipes I have done, such as
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of all things Mollydooker. From their quirky website, fun packaging to their beautiful cellar door with rolling views of The Vale, these guys are only cooler by the fact their wines are so damn drinkable too.
The Mollydooker Boxer Shiraz is probably my favourite from the Lefty Series. A series designed around being left-handed. These wines not only show great value but wines you can age, open up amongst your snobbiest wine friends or enjoy with a group of people!
The Shiraz has dark fruits, cedar notes, some licorice and allspice on the nose too. The palate is rich with mocha notes, white pepper, bark and some berry flavours too. It’s a youthful wine now, so will benefit from a little tie time in the decanter, and as it grows, it’s only going to get better and better!
Happy Eating and Happy Cooking Friends!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 229kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Ingredients
- 2 mini boneless lamb shoulder rolled
- salt
- oil
Hummus
- 400 g tin chickpeas
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp tahini
- ½ tsp cumin
- 3 dashes sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- salt
- 100 g olive oil add more if required
Lemon Parsley Oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful parsley chopped
Other
- 2 bunches carrots
- 1 handful raisins
- 1 handful almonds
Instructions
Hummus
-
Place all ingredients (except oil) in a mini food processor and blitz as you add the oil
-
More oil maybe needed but this is dependent upon how thin you like your hummus. I like to add a couple tbsp of water to mine to thin it out
Lamb
-
Remove from the fridge 15mins + before cooking
-
Rub in oil and season generously
-
Cook in frying pan for approx. 5 mins to brown the outside
-
Place on a wire rack and roast in the oven at 200c for approx. 20mins or until internal temperature reads approx. 50c for medium rare (prepare the carrots)
-
Allow to rest for 8-10 minutes before slicing
Carrots
-
Peel carrots and toss in oil/salt
-
With 5 minutes to go for the lamb to be cooked, fry the carrots for 5 minutes on high heat
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Once the lamb has been removed then place the carrots in the oven @ 200c for 8-10 minutes to cook
Other (prepare as the lamb is cooking)
-
Plump the raisins by soaking them for 1 minute in warm water
-
Toast the almonds for 2-3 minutes in a dry frying pan and chop
-
Add the lemon, oil & chopped parsley together for the oil
Notes
Tips/Tricks
- when possible, allow your meat to come to room temperature. This allows a more even cooking of the meat
- ALWAYS rest your meat before cooking. Even a well-rested medium/medium well piece of meat can/will be juicy if rested correctly
- hummus can be made in advance if serving at a dinner party
- the lemon parsley oil is best made closer to serving so the parsley stays bright and green
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.9mg