Rosemary Lamb with Caramelized Onion Gravy is a delicious slow roasted Sunday dinner idea with a killer good onion gravy sauce and a side of mint sauce too.
In a greased baking pan or in your dutch oven, lay your " fresh sliced" onion on the bottom of the pan. Lay a few fresh sprigs of rosemary on top (you can substitute with dried rosemary but it is just not as good). Set aside.
Cut thin horizontal and vertical slices into the fat covering the lamb shoulder. Coat the lamb with olive oil and sprinkle with steak seasoning, minced garlic and half of the chopped rosemary and rub into the lamb with your hands. Sear lamb quickly on all sides until a nice golden brown in a large frying pan. Remove lamb and place in a you baking pan with your bed of onions and rosemary.
Add onions and wine to deglaze the pan the lamb was seared in. (Can substitute wine with gluten free lamb or chicken broth if going gluten free or diabetic friendly) Gently simmer a couple of minutes until onions are slightly softened and the wine deglazes the pan.
Gently place your seared lamb and all the lovely onions and beer on top of the layer of fresh sliced onions and rosemary in your roasting pan or dutch oven. Place a few remaining sprigs of fresh rosemary on top. (If you want, you can add some baby potatoes and root vegetables around the lamb for a compete meal)
Cover your roast with aluminum foil and place in the oven to cook. Set timer for ½ hour.
A the half hour mark, remove the aluminum foil cover and reduce the oven temperature to 130°C (270°F). Baste your lamb about every 20 minutes or as needed to look like you are slaving away in the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of wine.
Depending on the size of your lamb, it will take between 2 to 2.5 hours or until the internal temperature is about 165 F or about 30 minutes per pound. My lamb was so tender I could cut it with a spoon.
Take your lamb out of the oven, keep it tented to keep warm while you make your gravy and/or mint sauce. Save all that glorious pan juices to make a fantastic gravy.
Make the caramelized onion gravy: Place your pan juices through a strainer. In a pan, add back the strained juices from the roasted lamb and add enough of a cornstarch/water mixture to slightly thicken this beautiful gravy. Add a couple of knobs of butter and season to taste. Place in a gravy container to serve with the slow roasted lamb.
OPTIONAL - Make the mint sauce: This is not required but some like gravy and some prefer mint sauce, so this is another option. In a food processor, blend your fresh mint leaves with just a little water to get it moving. In a little sauce pan add water, sugar, salt and vinegar and cook gently just until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the burner. Let mixture completely cool and then mix in your freshly chopped mint in the sugar vinegar mixture. Serve this fresh mint sauce along with your slow roasted rosemary lamb.
Notes
Leftovers, if there are any, can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months. Just reheat and eat.