Lamb has been part of holiday celebrations for thousands of years, making it a natural choice if you’re planning something special for Easter or Passover. This Herb-Rubbed Lamb Shoulder Roast is an elegant yet surprisingly simple centerpiece. After a quick prep with a fragrant herb rub, the lamb roasts low and slow in the oven, leaving you plenty of time to focus on the rest of your meal.
When I partnered with Sterling Farms to develop recipes for Easter, they asked me to highlight their March lamb special. I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant at first. I had never really mastered cooking lamb in a way that avoided the strong, gamey flavor often associated with it. Sterling Farms raises cattle, hogs and Dorper sheep locally, with animals that are born, raised, and USDA-inspected close to home. Their careful, low-stress handling and responsible farm-to-table practices produce lamb that is fresh, clean-tasting, and high quality. They specialize in farm-to-table sales, including Rancher’s Reserve meat boxes, honey, pickled quail eggs, seasonal salsas, and a variety of pantry items. Their meats are expertly aged and vacuum sealed for quality. Visit their online store to browse their products or to make a purchase.
.A lamb shoulder roast felt like the perfect way to showcase their lamb products for Easter. I studied that beautiful lamb roast for quite a while, thinking through how I wanted to prepare it. I was assured that Sterling Farms lamb doesn’t need much more than salt and pepper because of its naturally mild flavor, but I wanted to create something just a little more special. Then inspiration struck: an herb-rubbed roast with bright notes of garlic and lemon.
The results were outstanding. The Sterling Farms lamb was every bit as mild and flavorful as promised, with none of the gamey taste I had worried about. The herb rub gently infused the meat as it roasted, while the garlic and lemon zest added a fresh brightness that complemented the rich flavor without overwhelming it. Cooked low and slow to a perfect rosy rare, this roast turned out tender, juicy, and absolutely memorable.
A beautiful Herb-Rubbed Lamb Shoulder Roast deserves a wine that complements its rich flavor while allowing the fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon to shine. These wines pair especially well with lamb prepared this way:
Classic Red Wine Pairings
- Cabernet Sauvignon – A classic partner for lamb with its dark fruit flavors.
- Syrah or Shiraz – Notes of black pepper and spice naturally complement the herbal seasoning and deep-roasted flavors of lamb.
- Merlot – A smooth red that is softer and fruitier.
- Pinot Noir – A lighter-bodied red that works beautifully with rare lamb.
If You Prefer White Wine
While red wine is traditional with lamb, a fuller-bodied white can also work nicely:
- Chardonnay (unoaked or lightly oaked) – Complements the lemon in the herb rub.
- Sauvignon Blanc – Fresh and citrusy, it echoes the lemon zest and herbs in the recipe.
These wine selections make the lamb feel more special and help turn the meal into a true holiday-worthy centerpiece.
Ingredients
1 3 lb. lamb shoulder roast
2 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped fine
2 tsp. dry Herbes De Provence
1 tsp. ground sage
1 tsp. coriander
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup water
1 tsp. beef Better Than Bouillon
1 cup white wine
2 onions, cut in wedges
Instructions
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, Herbes de Provence, ground sage, coriander, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. Stir.
Trim the excess fat from the lamb. There really shouldn’t be that much. Poke holes on both sides of the lamb roast. I use a tool that pierces the meat easily. I use that to poke holes in the meat.
Massage the rub mixture into both sides of the lamb. Allow the rub to infuse into the meat for at least 30 minutes.
In a deep roasting pan, combine the water, beef broth and white wine. Stir to dissolve the bouillon. Add the onion wedges. Space the wedges evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Place the roast on top of the onions. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 300 degrees. Insert the probe of a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Roast the meat until the thermometer reaches the desired temperature: 135 -140 degrees for rare, 145 – 150 degrees for medium or 185 – 200 degrees for well done. If you want to shred the meat, then well done is what you want, which will take about three hours. I wanted to slice the meat, but with a little bit of pink, so I aimed for the upper end of rare. The roast was in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once the roast is out of the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Slice the meat against the grain. Ladle the broth and onions over the top of the lamb on a serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to garnish.
If you like this recipe, you may also like the following recipes:
Herb-Rubbed Lamb Shoulder Roast Sponsored by Sterling Farms
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- 1 knife
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 small spoon
- 1 marinating tool or a sharp knife for poking holes in the meat
- 1 deep roasting pan or dish
- 1 medium spoon
- 1 measuring cup
- 1 meat thermometer
- aluminum foil
- 1 carving knife
Ingredients
- 1 3 lb. lamb shoulder roast
- 2 Tbsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley chopped fine
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary chopped fine
- 2 tsp. dry Herbes De Provence
- 1 tsp. ground sage
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp. beef Better Than Bouillon
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 onions cut in wedges
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, Herbes de Provence, ground sage, coriander, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil.
- Stir.
- Trim the excess fat from the lamb.
- Poke holes on both sides of the lamb roast.
- Massage the rub mixture into both sides of the lamb.
- Allow the rub to infuse into the meat for at least 30 minutes.
- In a deep roasting pan, combine the water, beef broth, and white wine.
- Stir to dissolve the bouillon.
- Add the onion wedges. Space the wedges evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Place the roast on top of the onions.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 300 degrees.
- Insert the probe of a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat.
- Roast the meat until the thermometer reaches the desired temperature: 135 -140 degrees for rare, 145 – 150 degrees for medium or 185 – 200 degrees for well done. If you want to shred the meat, well-done is what you want, which will take about 3 hours. For slightly rare, aim for the upper end of the rare range, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Let the meat rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Slice the meat against the grain. Ladle the broth and onions over the lamb on a serving platter.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley to garnish.
