Lamb Shoulder Roast With Spinach & Pine Nuts - cooking recipe

Ingredients

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

Preparation

Clean spinach by discarding roots, coarse stems, and yellowed leaves. Wash well. Stack leaves, then cut crosswise into about 1/2-inch-wide slivers. Set aside.
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.
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 1/2-inch margin on all sides. Starting from the most irregular long side, roll meat up snugly. Use string to tie snugly at about 1 1/2-inch intervals.
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\u00b0F oven until thermometer registers 145\u00b0F for medium-rare, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Slice roast 1/2 inch thick. Add salt to taste.