Ingredients
1 shoulder of lamb on the bone (1 1/2 - 2 kg or 3.3 – 4.4 lb)
5 ml salt
2.5 ml pepper
15 ml dried mustard
5 ml ground ginger
30 ml sugar
1 ml cayenne pepper
1 beef bouillon cube
30 ml plain flour
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
50 ml Worcestershire sauce
50 ml tomato sauce
250 ml water
15 ml vinegar
1 large onion, roughly chopped
Instructions
Preheat the Oven
Set your oven to 140°C fan-forced (285°F).
Mix the Base Flavours
In a deep oven-proof dish with a tight-fitting lid, add all the ingredients except the lamb — salt, pepper, dried mustard, ground ginger, sugar, cayenne, garlic, onion, bouillon cube, flour, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, and water. Stir or whisk gently until well combined into a rich, seasoned sauce.
Add the Lamb
Place the lamb shoulder on the bone into the dish, nestling it into the sauce. Spoon some of the mixture over the top so it’s coated in flavour from the start.
Slow-Braise and Baste
Cover with the lid and bake for 3–5 hours. During cooking, turn the lamb over 2–3 times, spooning the sauce over it each time to keep the meat moist and well-flavoured.
Remove the Bone
Once the lamb is deep caramelised and falling apart, remove from oven. Carefully pull the meat apart with tongs or forks. Remove the bones — it should slide out easily.
Skim the Fat
The long, slow cooking will release some fat from the lamb into the sauce. Use a large metal spoon to gently skim the top layer of fat from the surface. This will leave you with a rich, clean-tasting sauce without the heaviness of excess fat. Take your time with this step — skimming while the liquid is still hot makes it easier, as the fat will be liquid and sitting on top.
