Lamb Shoulder Roast With Spinach & Pine Nuts

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3/4 lb fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or pressed)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
• fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 4 -4 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder, boned
• salt

Recipe

• 1 clean spinach by discarding roots, coarse stems, and yellowed leaves. wash well. stack leaves, then cut crosswise into about ½-inch-wide slivers. set aside.
• 2 in a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium heat, combine oil and nuts; stir often until nuts are golden, about 6 minutes. using slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside. add onion to pan; cook, stirring often, until limp but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. add garlic, oregano, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and spinach. stir just until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. remove from heat and mix in crumbs and nuts.
• 3 trim fat from lamb. lay meat flat, boned side up, and cover with plastic wrap. using a flat mallet, pound meat gently and firmly to flatten evenly. spread spinach mixture over the meat, leaving about a 1 ½-inch margin on all sides. starting from the most irregular long side, roll meat up snugly. use string to tie snugly at about 1 ½-inch intervals.
• 4 arrange meat, fat side up, on a rack in a 12- by 15-inch roasting pan. sprinkle generously with pepper. insert a meat thermometer in center. roast, uncovered, in a 350°f oven until thermometer registers 145°f for medium-rare, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. slice roast ½ inch thick. add salt to taste.