Slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone succulent meat with red wine gravy is the ultimate way to enjoy lamb shoulder. So whether you are looking for a delicious recipe for your Sunday roast, a festive centrepiece for your Easter table or tender pulled lamb to serve in a brioche bun, this Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder recipe is definitely for you!
Start by trimming any excess fat off of your lamb shoulder. Using a sharp pointy knife, make small holes in the surface of the flesh. Then Rub a tablespoon of olive oil on top of the lamb, then season with salt and black pepper.
Poke a slice/ strip of garlic and a small sprig or rosemary into each of the holes.
Place the onion wedges in the bottom of the pot of your slow cooker. Sprinkle a heaped tablespoon of cornflour (cornstarch) on top. You may skip the cornflour if you do not intend to make gravy out of the cooking juices.
Place your prepared lamb roast on top. Then pour the stock and wine into the pot, avoiding the lamb, so you don't wash away the seasoning from the top of the meat. The liquid should cover the meat halfway to ⅔ up. If your lamb shoulder is less flat, just add a bit more stock and wine.
Place a lid on top and set it to cook for 8-10 hours on low, 7-8 hours on medium or 5-6 hours on high. However, note that different slow cookers have different cook time suggestions, so I would recommend referring to the manual.
For Pulled Lamb Shoulder: Take the lamb out of the liquid and cover it with a sheet of foil to rest for 15-20 minutes. Then using two forks, shred and pull the lamb shoulder into bite-sized pieces. Well-cooked lamb should tear very easily, coming straight off the bone.
To Serve Whole: When your lamb is cooked, preheat the oven to 180° C Fan. Take the lamb shoulder out of the liquid and place it onto a roasting tin. Cook it in the oven for 15 minutes to brown the top. Then leave the meat to rest for 10-15 minutes, covered with tin foil.
Take it to the table and slice it with a carving knife.
Notes
Serve your Lamb Shoulder with Red Wine Gravy using cooking juices from your slow cooker. You will need the following:
Cooking Juices The Lamb Cooked In
1 tablespoon brown sugar, dark or light
2 tablespoon cornflour
Once you take the lamb out of the slow cooker, let the liquid settle again, so that the fat separates from the rest of the juices and settles on top. Using a small ladle or a large serving spoon, scoop most of the fat off the top and into a container (do not pour the far into your sink. Instead, leave it to set and place the container in your bin).Pour the remaining cooking juices through a fine sieve into a medium pan, add 1 tablespoon dark or light brown sugar and set it over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoon of cornflour to a small bowl. Take a ladle of the cooking juices from the pan and add it to the cornflour. Mix well, then add it back to the pan and stir for 4-5 minutes, or until the gravy thickens to your preferred consistency.