Babies first roast lamb ~ Slow cooked lamb shoulder

Written by Christina Hills, Baby + Child Dietitian, and Founder of the Happy Feeding Company Clinic

Lamb is a fab way of getting iron and zinc into your little one, two really key nutrients for babies just starting out with solids. This oven-roasted slow-cooked lamb shoulder recipe produces insanely tender, fall-off-the-bone meat perfect for babies, and can be offered as part of a. family Sunday roast or a "pulled" lamb meal. The key is to keep the lamb covered for most of the cooking time to retain moisture, then uncovering at the end to crisp up! 

YOU NEED

• 1 whole lamb shoulder or half (half serves 3-4 and a whole serves 6-8, depending on size), bone-in

• 2-4 large onions, cut into thick wedges (I’d use 2 for a half, and 3-4 for a whole shoulder)

• Extra virgin olive oil

• 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced into slivers

• 1 large bunch fresh rosemary, cut into little 3-4 cm sprigs

• Salt (optional)

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 300 mls stock of choice (ensure if buying shop bought this is not a high salt stock and choose organic if you are offering to babies)

• Optional: 1 tbsp honey/maple syrup for glazing 

Instructions

1. Take the lamb out of the fridge 45–60 minutes before cooking to reach room temperature. 

2. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees 

3. Grab a large ovenproof dish with a lid (or a large roasting tray which you can pop foil over as an alternative).

4. Place the onion wedges in the base of a large oven friendly pan (this acts as a trivet to prevent sticking).

5. Place the lamb shoulder on top of the onions, fat side up. 

6. Using a sharp knife, make 10-12 deep incisions all over the lamb shoulder. Stuff these holes with your garlic slivers and little sprigs of rosemary. Rub the entire surface of the lamb with olive oil, and season with a little salt, and lots of pepper.

7. Pour your stock into the bottom of the pan around the lamb, not over it!

8. Roast uncovered for 20-30 minutes to develop a nice brown crust.

9. Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C and place your pan lid on OR cover the roasting tray very tightly with a double layer of foil to seal in moisture. Roast for 3 to 5 hours, or until the meat is completely tender and pulling away from the bone. I kept my half shoulder in for 3 hours, but you could leave it longer. 

10. Remove the foil. If using honey brush it over the top of the lamb now. Increase the oven temp to 200 degrees and roast it uncovered for another 20-30 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. (This is also when I would pop my veggies in the oven- see my roasted root veggies recipe!)

11. Remove the lamb from the pan and transfer to a large platter or plate and cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.

12. *Option to make a gravy by skimming any excess fat from the pan juices, then place your pan on the hob to simmer the remaining juices until reduced, you can add any extra flavourings or stock if you wish! 

Slow-cooked lamb fingers served with roasted veggies. Check out my roasted root veggies recipe.

HOW TO OFFER SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHOULDER TO BABIES

• Serve a thin, finger-sized piece of tender lamb to babies 6-9 months to nibble on, or offer smaller shreds to babies 9/10 months+ with a good pincer grasp

• Alternatively for babies 6-9 months, shred the lamb into very fine pieces and mash into some roasted veggies, or pop some lamb and roasted veggies into a blender with some stock and pulse!

• Remember all babies develop at different rates and you need to assess your little on as an individual when it comes to safely offering solids 

Pink plate - lamb for babies 6-9 months, brown bear bowl- lamb for babies 9/10 months+ (all babies develop differently, this may need to be adapted to suit your little ones abilities/skills)