Lamb and beef shoulder are cuts that sometimes stump the cook, but I love them. Any cut from the shoulder melts into tender shredability when cooked low and slow. And there are few recipes as easy as this one. Slice the meat for serving, or shred it for use in tacos (add oregano, cumin and chili powder) or pasta (add oregano, basil and crushed red pepper).
Ingredients
- 2½ to 3 pounds boneless lamb or beef shoulder
- 1 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head garlic (or more, if desired)
- 1 pound tomatoes, cored and cut up
Instructions
Trim beef of fat. Sprinkle roast all over with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker (cut it to fit if necessary). Bust up the head of garlic and peel the cloves. Add to the pot. Add the tomatoes to the pot (make sure to cover the garlic cloves).
Cover and cook on high heat at least 6 hours. The meat should be extremely tender and falling apart.
Remove meat from pot and trim off any remaining fat. If you have time, chill the sauce so that fat hardens and is easy to lift off, or allow the juices to stand for a few minutes so the fat rises to the top and then spoon it off. I boil the sauce down quite a bit to thicken it and even use an immersion to blend the tomatoes and garlic into the sauce. Serves 6.
