Brining elevates lamb to something extraordinary. On the surface, lamb shoulder seems the least likely contender for brining, as it is typically a method employed to make drier cuts more moist. Lamb shoulder is anything but dry – but brining just makes it doubly delicious, with a deep savoury flavour imparted to the meat, and the luscious texture is quite incomparable. A bone-in shoulder is also hard to season properly, but the brine solves that, penetrating the meat and perfectly salting it. The sugar adds a richness without being sweet per se, and aids in burnishing the crust to a stunningly crispy intensity. Hungry?
Brined Lamb Shoulder Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 kg (6 lb 10 oz) bone-in lamb shoulder
2 onions, skin on, each cut into 3 rings
3 celery stalks
juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano (rigani)
1 garlic bulb, cut in half crossways
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) Golden chicken stock
300 ml (10 fl oz) water
80 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup) white‑wine vinegar
Brine
3 litres (101 fl oz/12 cups) water
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) sea salt
350 g (12½ oz/1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
40 g (1½ oz) black peppercorns, cracked
1 garlic bulb, cut in half crossways
3 fresh bay leaves
1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) cold water, or 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) ice
Method:
Heat the brine ingredients in a large saucepan over a high heat. Stir until the salt and sugar have completely dissolved, then remove from the heat. Add the cold water or, for a quicker result, the ice, and cool to room temperature.
Once the brine has cooled, add the lamb, then refrigerate overnight to brine, or for at least 10 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 130C (265F) fan-forced.
Remove the lamb from the brine and pat dry. Arrange the onion and celery in a large roasting tin, to form a ‘trivet’, then place the lamb on top. Pour the lemon juice over and sprinkle with the oregano. Add the garlic to the tin and pour in the stock, water and vinegar.
Cover with baking paper, then foil, and roast for 5. hours.
Once the meat is very tender, uncover the lamb and turn the oven up to 200C (400F) fan-forced. Cook for 30 minutes to brown the meat, basting regularly with the pan juices.
Once darkened, with crisp edges, remove the lamb from the oven and set aside to rest. Tip the juices into a small saucepan, skimming off most of the fat, and reduce by half over a high heat.
Transfer the lamb to a large serving plate, with some of the lamb pulled from the bone, then pour the juices over the top. Heaven.
This is an edited extract from COOK by Karen Martini, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $100 AUD / $110 NZD. Available in stores nationally. Photography: © Mark Chew.
