This recipe serves 4
Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder
6 garlic cloves, mashed into a paste
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 -2. Tablespoons olive oil, for searing the lamb
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white wine, optional
1 small onion
1 carrot
1 bay leaf
Season the lamb at least 2 hours before cooking, or even better day before. Cover the meat with the garlic paste and salt.
Pull the meat out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you are going to cook it.
Preheat the oven to 375. Sear the lamb shoulder in an oven proof pan like a Dutch Oven over medium heat using 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. If needed add one more Tablespoon of olive oil to ensure browning on all sides.
Once the shoulder is nicely browned add the water to the pan, and the. wine if using. If you are only using water add two cups of water instead of 1 1/2 cups.
Peel and slice the onion in half. Wash and cut the carrot into thirds. Add the onion, carrot pieces and bay leaf to your pot. Cover the pan with foil or a lid then place it in the oven to cook slowly. After one hour carefully peel back the foil and turn the lamb shoulder, cover again and continue cooking for another hour.
Then cook uncovered for the last hour or so. It will take about 3 hours for the lamb shoulder to cook. It is done when it easily comes apart with a fork.
When it's ready pull the lamb out of the oven and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes before pulling the meat. apart with a fork. Pull the meat while it is still warm.