Shoulder at 94 degrees: Sunday roast shoulder

A thick fat cap bastes the meat as it renders — do not trim it bare before roasting. Low oven, long time. Cover for the first half if the surface browns too fast. Look for even fat cover; young lamb (under a year) stays milder than mutton. A cut’s grain comes from how much the muscle worked. Shoulder needs heat through to 94 degrees before “Sunday roast shoulder” makes sense. 94 is a stage of that heat, not a luxury score. The same cut becomes a stew, a grill, or a braise, so a steak minute does not cover a pot. Thick connective tissue wants time, not a hard sear alone. This is not medical advice.

Colour, sinew, where the fat sits, and thickness are what you check before you pay. Ask for the thickness that matches “Sunday roast shoulder.” Use 94 degrees and 94 when you cook. Salt after you know the job. Do not play with undercooked meat. Cook Shoulder to 94 degrees and serve it as “Sunday roast shoulder.” The other figure to watch is 94. Do not time a hard-working muscle like a thin steak. Colour before heat is not doneness. The everyday roasting joint of the sheep: enough fat and collagen to stay juicy for hours, large enough to feed a table. Bone-in holds shape; boneless rolls for even slicing. This is the cut behind most weekend lamb roas

Cook Shoulder to 94 degrees and serve it as “Sunday roast shoulder.” The other figure to watch is 94. Do not time a hard-working muscle like a thin steak. Colour before heat is not doneness. The everyday roasting joint of the sheep: enough fat and collagen to stay juicy for hours, large enough to feed a table. Bone-in holds shape; boneless rolls for even slicing. This is the cut behind most weekend lamb roas