What is it?

When it comes to cookinglamb, shoulder probably isn’t the cut you’d think of first. But inexpensive cuts like lamb shoulder are the unsung heroes of the butcher case. They’re cheaper than other cuts and extremely rich in flavor.

How to choose:

The lamb shoulder cuts you’re most likely to find at the supermarket or butcher are shoulder roast andshoulder chops.

• A boneless lamb shoulder roast weighs about three pounds and easily feeds six to eight. (You may need to call in advance to have the butcher bone the roast.)
• Lamb shoulder chops are sold as either blade chops or shoulder arm chops. Try to choose chops that aren’t cut too thin—they should be about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.

How to prep:

High-heat cooking won’t give these cuts of meat the time they need to soften, so stay away from grilling, broiling, or roasting at high temperatures. Except for an initial sear in a hot skillet or first blast of high heat during roasting, these cuts benefit from low heat and moist cooking over a long period of time, which allows the meat’s connective tissue to become tender and release its rich flavor.

Recipes

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  Recipe

  Moroccan Lamb and Seven-Vegetable Couscous

  This traditional dish is served as the centerpiece of every festive and celebratory meal in North African communities around the world, from weddings to funerals, for the feast of the…

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  Recipe

  Catalan Stewed Lamb with Potatoes and Green Olives

  Olives offer a salty contrast to rich, tender pieces of lamb in this hearty dish. The starch from the potatoes thickens the stew. Bone-in lamb pieces are traditional, but boneless…

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  Grilled Lamb and Figs on Rosemary Skewers

  The idea of cutting branches of rosemary for skewers must certainly have occurred to humans soon after they figured out how to build fires. Rosemary grows as a large, hardy…

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  Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

  These Moroccan-spiced meatballs show up at family meal at Gramercy Tavern, where they’re served with a simple yogurt sauce that provides a creamy counterpoint and a cooling cucumber salad. They…

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  Recipe

  Curried Lamb with Apricots and Almonds

  This sweet and aromatic curry is based on the traditional sali boti of Parsi cuisine in western India. For the best flavor, use dried Turkish apricots, which will provide a…

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  Recipe

  Moroccan Lamb Stew

  Green olives and preserved lemon give this Moroccan-influenced stew a tart-salty counterpoint to the sweet chunks of butternut squash.

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  Lamb and Prune Stew

  李子和胡萝卜甜蜜借给这炖,enhanced by warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and turmeric which make it reminiscent of North African tagines.

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  Recipe

  Lamb Stew with Flageolets and Herbs

  This is a simple, South-of-France-style lamb stew, redolent of fresh mint and tarragon, citrus, and lots of garlic. As with most stews, its flavors deepen as it sits, so make…

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  Recipe

  Spaghetti with Abruzzese Lamb Ragu

  Lamb ragù is a specialty of Abruzzo where farmers have raised sheep for centuries, letting them graze in mountain pastures during the spring and summer, and herding them south to the…