This Is The Best Way To Cook Lamb Shoulder

When it comes to different cuts of lamb, the lamb shoulder is certainly a sought after cut for many — Tasting Table included. We placed it in the number two spot (behind only ribs) in our ranking of every cut of lamb. If you also prefer a lamb shoulder to other cuts of lamb, then you'll need to know the best way to cook it. To find out, Tasting Table spoke with an expert: Ryan Ratino, the chef and owner of the two-Michelin starred restaurant, Jônt, in Washington DC.

Ratino revealed that, when it comes to lamb shoulder, he prefers to either braise it or smoke it. For anyone unfamiliar, braising means to first sear the meat on high heat, then to slow cook the meat in a small amount of liquid such as stock or wine, often alongside veggies. Meanwhile, smoking refers to using smoke to add flavor or preserve the meat. Typically, the process consists of placing meat inside of a chamber that traps in smoke. In the traditional way, smoking is not as easy to do at home as braising is, but there is an easy way to smoke meat in your kitchen: using a pressure cooker. Braising and smoking are not Ratino's only suggestions for what to do with a lamb shoulder. He said, "I like to take off the shoulder steak as well and grill this medium and eat it separately from the rest of the shoulder."

We definitely agree with cooking lamb shoulder as our expert, Ryan Ratino, suggests — but it's also good to have options. Specifically, if you're new to cooking lamb and need to follow a recipe, Tasting Table has a few to get you started. Firstly, there's our slow-cooked lamb shoulder with pounded herbs and green garlic. Slow cooking is quite similar to braising (as the second step of braising requires a slow cook), so this recipe will be somewhat similar to Ratino's suggested cooking method.

However, if you want to branch out, you can also integrate lamb shoulder into more complex meals. For example, we use lamb shoulder in our recipes for a comforting lamb saag and a celebratory lamb biryani. These recipes are a good way for you to practice cooking lamb without putting too much pressure on yourself — if it's not perfectly cooked, it won't be as noticeable because it's part of a larger, more elaborate recipe. Once you have some lamb recipes under your belt, you can try your hand at Ratino's suggestions: smoking or braising the lamb shoulder. Or, if you're already adept at cooking lamb, it doesn't hurt to have some other lamb recipe options, but in this case, try out Ratino's suggestions first.