How To Roast Lamb Shoulder

​What is Lamb like?

Pasture-fed lamb from hair sheep is one of the most satisfying meats with a wonderfully mild flavor.

​The fat is not the same as wool sheep, so many folks who have a hard time with the strong flavors in most lamb have found a new favorite coming from the hair sheep breeds.

What is the hair sheep breed?

Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to give you the main difference between a hair sheep and wool sheep breed and how that significantly differentiates the flavor of the meat ...

• Hair sheep shed out, so they do not need to be sheared. ​ Because of this, they produce little lanolin, making the meat and fat less oily and more mild and delicate in flavor.
• Wool sheep breeds do not shed their wool and need to be sheared. Sheep with wool produce a wax called lanolin, which adds a distinct odor, flavor and color to the lamb meat.

Here is one of my favorite and simplest ways to roast a delicious shoulder roast...

Garlic Rosemary Shoulder Roast
Oven Preheat: 450 degrees

Ingredients:
​2 tsp organic garlic powder or sliced fresh garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp organic olive oil
• ​12 organic fresh rosemary sprigs
• 12 slices organic garlic, or organic powdered garlic
• Sea salt 
• 1 tsp organic black pepper
• 1 cup pasture-fed beef broth (I use my pre-made bone broth and you can find that recipe here)
• 1.3 to 2 lb Lamb Shoulder Roast  (you can purchase Lamb Shoulder here)
• Organic (or better yet, fresh from a grower you trust) potatoes, carrots, fresh rosemary, and any other favorites sliced.

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 Degrees
2. Rub Lamb Shoulder Roast with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper
3. Using a sharp knife, make 12 deep cuts into the top of your roast (may add more in sides, if desired)
4. Using the knife again,  poke the rosemary sprigs into each cut. (If using sliced garlic, poke one slice in each cut with the rosemary)
5. If using powdered garlic, sprinkle all over lamb roast.
6. Place garlic and rosemary on the bottom of your roasting pan, then place shoulder roast on top.  Add fresh rosemary to surrounding pan, as well.  
7. Pour beef broth around roast and cover with a tight lid, or tin foil.
8. Place roast in oven and immediately turn temperature down to 350 degrees.
9. Slow roast covered for 2 hours, 40 minutes. 
   
10. When 1 hour is remaining, remove from oven and add water if dry, then add potatoes and carrots seasoned with sea salt and pepper.  Return lid/foil to pan.
11. Remove lid or foil and turn temp up to 425 for 20 minutes to brown roast if needed.
12. Remove roast from pan and allow it to  REST on a plate covered with tin foil and tea towels for at least 20 minutes.  This is important.
13. Serve with Gravy made from juices from pan, adding extra bone broth if needed.

A little more about the 7U Flock - And our Shepherdesses

The hair sheep flock, here at the ranch have slowly grown into a quality group of ewes, rams and lambs, through the hard work of both Charise (Rise) and Rhian Allen. (Our daughters.)

Over the last few years, when they were in high school, Rise and Rhian have worked to improve the health of their flock through natural healing remedies, grazing rotations, and culling for strong genetics. They've made many difficult, but rewarding decisions that have created wonderful results in their flock.

​This allows us to produce lamb that is healthy and has not had any chemical wormers, pour-ons, antibiotics or vaccines in its lifetime. This is what we strive for in all of our meats!

3 Ewes that LOVE to pose for photos

Rhian and Rise - our 2 Shepherdesses