Shoulder or Leg of lamb

cutestkids

I need some advice I really like lamb and fancy having a lamb roast sometime soon but do not know which is best.

What do most people here use shoulder or leg and why.

Is shoulder rally fatty or is it OK

Have never really cooked a whole lamb joint just usually do braised leg steaks but fancy something different.

TheThriftyScrumpers

Hi,

We have cooked this shoulder of lamb recipe several times after having at a friends house. It's lovely. We found it needed extra time so it just fell apart.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/lamb-recipes/incredible-roasted-shoulder-of-lamb-with-smashed-veg-and-greens

Hth xx

trulymadlydeeply_indebt!

The joint really doesn't matter if you slow cook it, so go with whatever happens to be the cheapest.

Here's what I do - Crank the oven up really high. Meanwhile, stab the joint with a sharp knife all over and stuff the slashes with some butter which has been put in a pestle and mortar with bashed garlic and rosemary.

Put on a rack over a roasting tin and cook (uncovered) for about 20 mins or so until it has developed a dark crust and then put tin foil over it and turn the oven down to about GM 3/4 for about 5 hours.

It simply falls apart and is beautiful.

Good luck xx

Pitlanepiglet

Both are nice but my preference is probably shoulder, it seems to have a nicer flavour.

meritaten

leg is leaner but to mind has less flavour and can be tougher if overcooked. Shoulder is much more forgiving of being left in oven longer and if you put it on a rack much of the fat drains off. its more versatile in that you can also cube it and use for curries and casseroles and stews.
Breast of lamb is very fatty - but very cheap (in comparison to leg) and very tasty! best used with a stuffing and rolled into a nice joint and slow cooked!

How_Did_That_Happen?

I like shoulder best.

I halve a few onions and lay them in a roasting tin, then put the shoulder on top. Then put whole cloves of garlic (no need to peel) and rosemary on top of that. Cover tightly with foil and cook at about 160 for about 6 hours. It goes all soft and falls apart and is delicious.

Lilyplonk

Shoulder of Lamb tastes far superior to Leg, much 'sweeter' - but it has that rather large 'blade bone', so is never quite as big as it first appears.

It won't serve as many as you would first think.

maman

Lilyplonk wrote: »

Shoulder of Lamb tastes far superior to Leg, much 'sweeter' - but it has that rather large 'blade bone', so is never quite as big as it first appears.

It won't serve as many as you would first think.

I'm another that favours shoulder for the flavour but it is fatty (:drool:) compared with leg.

My favourite way of doing leg of lamb is to brown it ( I do it in a wok) and then make a bed of chopped carrots, cubed parsnips and sliced leeks with some thyme, stock and seasoning in a casserole. Place the lamb on top (not in it or it will stew). Cook for 2/2.5 hours at about 180. I serve with
roasties and something green. Yummy.

Eyeore

i too like both so depends on what is on offer. Leg I just roast with some anchovies laid on top for 1.5 to 2 hrs, depending on size of joint. For shoulder I simply put in a big casserole pot and pour over a glass of wine, squeeze one lemon and put the halves in, sprinkling of thyme and season. put on lid an put in oven for 4 to 5 hrs (longer won't hurt) at 160. yummy!

Kitchenbunny

I personally prefer shoulder of lamb, particularly for roasts. The bone can be fiddly, but even if it gets carved off in chunks, who would mind a nice, tender hot piece of lamb? Mmm.

That said, Mum and Dad bought us a massive leg of lamb joint for Christmas, and it made several meals. I cut it roughly in half (around the big leg bone) and cubed the top half of the meat - that gets used in light curries and skewered dishes, and the other part of the leg I roasted.

And then had the leftover roast lamb reheated with minty gravy in a hot, fresh baguette. Mmm...

KB xx