Josceline Dimbleby

Carving a Shoulder of Lamb

Appears in
The Cook's Companion: A step-by-step guide to cooking skills including original recipes
The Cook's Companion

By Josceline Dimbleby

Published 1991

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A shoulder of lamb is ideal for roasting because of its succulent, tender meat, yet for some, this is the trickiest joint to carve because of the wide flat blade bone. It helps to loosen the blade bone before roasting, then it is easy to remove after cooking before carving. Step 3 below, however, shows how to carve the joint with the blade bone still in.

As shoulders are generally roasted until well done and tender, take care not to pull the meat into shreds.

  1. Hold the knuckle end with a napkin and with the other hand twist the blade bone from its socket and pull clear. Carve the meat across the grain in thin slices, working towards the knuckle end.

  2. Turn the joint over and, still holding the knuckle end, cut oblique horizontal slices from the underside of the shoulder. Continue cutting round the sides back to the knuckle.