Winter is the season of comfort food. And there’s nothing more comforting — or easy — than pastured lamb.
Look, I’ve got kids and a life full of sheep, wool, and knitting. I don’t want to babysit dinner. I want nutritious meals that are easy to make and taste delicious. I bet you do, too.
If you’re worried that lamb is difficult to cook or only for “special occasions,” this post is for you.
These are the three cuts I rely on all winter to make cooking easier. They’re forgiving, flexible, and — most importantly — they actually get eaten.
Ground Lamb
Ground lamb is the superhero of weeknight meals. You just can’t beat it for versatility, cooking speed, or kid-friendliness.
Is it any random Thursday? Then ground lamb is probably on the menu at our house.
If you’re anything like me, things don’t always go to plan. That extra wrestling practice is great — but then suddenly you’re trying to get dinner on the table with no time left. Or maybe it’s one of those unexpectedly cozy afternoons, when all the kids just want to hang around and chat.
I love it. But those are the nights I need a meal I can make even with distractions and chatter swirling around me.
Ground lamb can do it all. Virtually any recipe that calls for ground beef can be made with lamb — tacos, meatloaf, meatballs, chili, burgers. With so many options, I can adjust the dinner plan on the fly based on whatever the day throws at us.
And the best part? My kids will eat it. No complaints.
Ground lamb is our weeknight superhero: fast, flexible, and guaranteed to get eaten.
Boneless Shoulder
Of all the lamb cuts, boneless shoulder is my favorite.
I know it’s got a bad reputation. It’s not fancy, they say. It’s a lot of meat, they say. It’s tougher than other cuts, they say.
They don’t know how wrong they are.
This is a cut made for low-and-slow cooking. It’s wildly unfussy, utterly forgiving, and built to feed a crowd.
And have I mentioned that it makes your house smell amazing?
Lamb shoulder is my Sunday go-to. Sundays — market day — are tricky. I can prep the roast and pop it into the oven before heading out, then pull it out when I get home. Instant dinner.
Then there are the leftovers. One roast feeds our family for days, which means far less pressure to cook during the week.
Whether you roast it, like I do, or cube it for stew, lamb shoulder is one of the few cuts that genuinely rewards minimal effort — borderline neglect — with a hearty meal, incredible flavor, and enough meat to feed a small army.
Lamb shoulder is the ultimate no-babysitting roast: big, forgiving, and endlessly useful.
Lamb Shanks
There is just something about braised lamb shanks. Tender, deeply flavorful, and beautiful on the table, they’re perfect for chilly winter evenings.
Every year on Christmas Eve, we make a big, festive dinner. This year, it was Guinness-braised lamb shanks. They looked stunning, drizzled with sauce and perched on mashed potatoes — not just delicious, but a centerpiece all on their own.
But here’s the kicker: no one spent all day in the kitchen.
We spent the day together. My husband made the sauce and put the shanks into the oven. Hours later, I pulled them out, made the sides, and voilà — dinner.
Time doesn’t slow down for holidays, and it certainly doesn’t slow down for everyday luxuries. Lamb shanks look and feel special without swallowing your day.
Lamb shanks turn an ordinary evening into something that feels special, with very little extra effort.
The Bottom Line...
At the end of the day, these are the cuts that carry us through winter:
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- Ground lamb when time is short
- Shoulder when I want to feed everyone (and then keep feeding them for days)
- Shanks when the meal needs to feel a little special
None of it is precious, none of it is hard — and I certainly don’t babysit dinner.
This is lamb as everyday comfort food: forgiving, flavorful, and exactly what I want on the table when it’s cold outside.