How To Cook Mutton Shoulder Bone In Food

SLOW ROASTED ROSEMARY GARLIC LAMB SHOULDER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C/465°F (220°C fan forced).
• Rub the lamb with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Use a thin, sharp knife to make 12 incisions in the lamb, deep as you can but without piercing through the bottom of the lamb. (See photo in post and video
• Stuff bits of rosemary and garlic slivers into the holes (chopstick helpful!)
• Place the onion, halved garlic bulb and rosemary in the base of a roasting pan. Place the lamb on top. Pour water around.
• Cover with lid or tightly with a double layer of foil. Place in the oven, and TURN DOWN to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Slow roast, covered: Roast, covered with the foil, for 3 hours. (Note 1 for different sizes).
• Brown it, uncovered: Remove foil, check to ensure there's still liquid in the pan. If not, add 3/4 cup water (otherwise onion/garlic will burn). Turn up the oven to 220°C/425°F and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and crisp.
• Check if ready: By now, you should be able to part the meat with two forks - if not, just cover and return to oven at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) until you can do so.
• Rest: Remove lamb from the roasting pan and transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with foil then a couple of tea towels and let it rest for at least 20 minutes, up to a couple of hours (after this, you may want to reheat).
• Serve with gravy (below). If you want to go all out, make Duck Fat Potatoes or Super Crispy Roasted Potatoes!

ROASTED SHOULDER OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Push garlic (3 to 4 slivers) into the shoulder of lamb. Cover with sprigs of rosemary, salt and a little olive oil. Roast uncovered for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove lamb and leave to rest. Drain off the excess fat. Over the heat, add the flour to the pan of juices and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add red wine or vegetable stock, stir until thick.

OWENSBORO BARBECUED MUTTON

Steps:

• Generously season the mutton with about 1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Make the basting sauce:
• Combine the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, lemon juice, and pepper with 1 1/2 cups water in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Make the dipping sauce:
• Combine the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, pepper, coarse and onion salts, garlic powder, MSG, if using, allspice, and 2 cups water in a large nonreactive saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until richly flavored and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a nonreactive serving bowl to cool.
• Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-low. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium, then toss 1 cup of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
• When ready to cook, place the mutton, fat side up, in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat, and cover the grill. Cook the mutton until it is fall-off-the-bone tender, 4 to 6 hours.
• To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the mutton but not touching the bone: The internal temperature should be about 190 degrees F. Baste the mutton with the basting sauce every half hour. If the mutton starts to burn, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. If using a charcoal grill, every hour you'll need to add 12 fresh coals and 1/2 cup of the wood chips or chunks to each side.
• Transfer the grilled mutton to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the mutton thinly across the grain or finely chop it with a cleaver. Spoon half of the dipping sauce over the meat. Serve the mutton on toasted or grilled hamburger buns or slices of white bread or all by itself, passing the remaining dipping sauce on the side.
• Variation: You can substitute a 5- pound leg of lamb for the mutton. The cooking time will be closer to 4 hours. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg but not touching the bone: The internal temperature should be about 190 degrees F.