Recipe By Margaret Amos

I suppose this is called barbecued shoulder of lamb because of the familiar BBQ ingredients. I’m not sure how successful it would be, were it actually cooked this way. However, the oven method is delicious. Remember to look for a nice lean shoulder – they do vary. This size will be sufficient for six people but a half shoulder would be ideal for a smaller gathering in which case I would opt for the blade end rather than the knuckle end. I think there is a trend of having turkey at Easter – often because it’s a cheaper option and good both hot and cold, but cooking a shoulder of lamb is considerably less expensive than a leg and very traditional.

Barbecued shoulder of lamb

1.75Kg or 3½ Lb Shoulder of Lamb
Teaspoon Dry Mustard
Teaspoon ground Ginger
Teaspoon Salt
Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Plain Flour

For the barbecue sauce:

4 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 Tablespoons Brown Table Sauce
4 Tablespoons Mushroom Ketchup
2 Teaspoons Sugar
Tablespoon Malt or White Vinegar
3 Tablespoons melted Butter
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
150ml Water
1 small Onion, peeled and thinly sliced

* if you have any problems getting mushroom ketchup just increase the amount of Worcestershire Sauce.

Trim off any excess fat from the shoulder of lamb. Score the skin in diamonds. Mix the mustard, ginger, salt, pepper and garlic well together and rub into the surface of the meat, sprinkle the meat with flour and put it in a roasting tin.

Mix the sauce ingredients together well, adding the sliced onion last and pour over the meat. Cook in a pre-heated hot oven (220°C/Gas 7) for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to moderate (180°C/Gas 4) and continue to cook for a further 1 hour 35 minutes. Baste the joint with the sauce two or three times during cooking, adding a little more water to the sauce if needed.