Slow-Cooked Mutton Shoulder
Low heat and patience turn mutton shoulder meltingly tender.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 6–8 hours, plus 1 hour resting
- Serves
- 6–8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Method
- 1
Take the mutton out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 120°C (110°C fan), Gas ½.
- 2
Spread the onions, half the garlic and half the rosemary in a deep roasting tin. Pour in the wine and stock.
- 3
Make small slits over the shoulder. Tuck in the remaining garlic and short rosemary tips. Rub with olive oil and season generously.
- 4
Set the shoulder on the onions. Cover first with baking parchment, then seal tightly with foil. Roast for 6–8 hours, basting every 1–2 hours, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
- 5
If the joint needs more colour, remove the covering and roast at 220°C (200°C fan), Gas 7 for 15–20 minutes.
- 6
Transfer to a warm platter, cover loosely, and rest for 1 hour. Skim the fat from the roasting juices, stir in the vinegar, and season to taste.
- 7
Pull into generous pieces and serve with the onions, gravy, roast potatoes and greens.
From the farm kitchen
Mutton shoulder varies with age and size, so tenderness — not a fixed time — is the best test. If the tray dries out, add a splash of hot water and reseal it.
