Mediterranean Roast Lamb Shoulder with Lemony Potatoes

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A Note from Feedfeed

I'm lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with a plethora of Turkish and Greek restaurants. And let me just say, Seamless and I are very close friends when it comes to ordering food from those spots. So instead of spending my money on to-go orders, I endeavored to create my own tender lamb dish. This recipe pays homage to lamb souvlaki, a dish of skewered lamb pieces marinated in lemon and oregano, grilled and then topped with generous amounts of even more lemon and olive oil. Since I don’t have a grill, I thought, how about turning it into a roast? 

Now, in order to make the best roast possible, you have to work with the best product, right? For this recipe, I used New Zealand Grass-fed Boneless Lamb Shoulder, which has amazing flavor and unrivaled taste. Grass-fed lamb is also leaner and has more omega-3’s and omega-6’s than typical grain fed lamb, giving me optimum nutrition and taste. 

Once the lamb is slathered in the marinade, I put it on top of baby potatoes, allowing the meat drippings and fat to permeate the potatoes as they all roast together. After 3 hours, this roast comes out full of flavor and fork tender, making it the perfect fall dinner.

 

Recipe and Headnote Rachel Dolfi

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  • Recipe Card
Prep time 20mins
Cook time 4hrs
Serves or Makes: 4-6 servings

Recipe Card

ingredients

  • 1 (3-pound) New Zealand Grass-fed Boneless Lamb Shoulder, excess fat trimmed and trussed by a butcher
  • 1 small yellow onion, cut into chunks
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried mint
  • 2 1/2 pounds baby potatoes
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • Yogurt, for serving
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • Fresh mint, for serving

Method

  • Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 300°F. Remove lamb from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes.

  • Step 2

    In a food processor, puree together onions, garlic, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, oregano and mint. Once finely pureed, remove from the food processor into a small bowl and reserve.

  • Step 3

    Next, add the potatoes to the bottom of a roasting pan. Top with the remaining lemon juice, olive oil and chicken stock. Season the potatoes with salt. Add the lamb on top of the potatoes and rub the onion mixture all over the lamb, then season it with salt and pepper.

  • Step 4

    Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and roast until the lamb is fork tender, about 3-3 1/2 hours. Unwrap the roasting pan every hour to baste the lamb and potatoes with the juices.

  • Step 5

    Once the meat is fork tender, remove the foil from the roasting pan and increase heat to 450°F. Cook until the outside of the lamb is deeply golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

  • Step 6

    Take the lamb out of the roasting tray, snip the butchers twine and shred the lamb with two forks. Serve over potatoes and top with the pan drippings, yogurt, fresh mint and additional lemon wedges, if desired. Enjoy!