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Lamb Shoulder

Lamb · Shoulder
RoastBraise
Raw Lamb Shoulder — Lamb Shoulder cut
Also called
🇬🇧Shoulder of Lamb🇲🇽🇦🇷Paleta de cordero🇫🇷Épaule d'agneau🇪🇸Paletilla de cordero🇵🇹Pá de borrego🇧🇷Paleta de cordeiro🇮🇹Spalla d'agnello🇩🇪Lammschulter
→ See all Lamb Shoulder substitutes by country

The shoulder is the entire front quarter of the lamb, and is more heavily marbled than the leg due to the constant use of the shoulder muscles. This fat and connective tissue makes it ideal for long, slow cooking — typically roasted whole for 4 to 5 hours until the meat can be pulled apart. It is sold bone-in or boned and rolled. Slow-roasted shoulder is a cornerstone of North African, Turkish, and British lamb cookery.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇺🇸United StatesLamb Shoulderprimary
🇬🇧United KingdomShoulder of LambOften slow-roasted whole on the bone for 5 hours; boned and rolled is also common.
🇲🇽MexicoPaleta de cordero
🇦🇷ArgentinaPaleta de cordero
🇫🇷FranceÉpaule d'agneauA key cut in navarin printanier; also braised whole in red wine.
🇪🇸SpainPaletilla de corderoPaletilla de cordero asada is a classic of Castilian roasting — the signature dish of the mesetas.
🇵🇹PortugalPá de borrego
🇧🇷BrazilPaleta de cordeiro
🇮🇹ItalySpalla d'agnello
🇩🇪GermanyLammschulter

Free Lamb Shoulder reference card

Diagram, cooking notes, and 8 names on one printable page.

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Similar cuts

Cordero lechal
Cordero lechalapproximate

Same age-class distinction — cordero lechal is roasted whole or in quarters, regular lamb shoulder is butchered as a primal cut.

NeckRackLoinChumpLegShoulderBreast

Classic recipe

Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb (5-Hour Lamb)5 hr

Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb is the antidote to overcomplicated cooking — five hours in a low oven and the meat dissolv…

View full recipe →

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