Description
This Slow Cooked Lamb is perfectly spiced, sticky and melt-in-your-mouth tender. While it does require a longer cook time, it is super easy to make, and once you’ve prepped it, there’s not much else to do. Bonus feature – you can even cook it the day before, and it will remain perfectly moist and utterly delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 Lamb leg, bone-in, roughly 1,8kg / 4 lbs
Spicy Rub:
- 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Fine sea salt
- 90g Harissa paste, or Chipotle paste or use red pepper pesto for a milder alternative
Cooking & Glazing
- 500ml Chicken or beef stock
- 1 Sliced onion
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
Tzatziki: Optional*
- 200g Yoghurt – preferably a thick style like Greek or Skyr
- 1 English cucumber, washed well
- 5g Mint, finely chopped
Instructions
- To make the rub, place the cumin seeds, paprika, and oregano into a pestle and mortar. Then grind with the pestle until fine. Add the garlic cloves and find sea salt and then pound with the pestle until the mixture becomes a slightly chunky paste. Stir in the Harissa paste.
- Score the fat and underside of the lamb with a sharp knife, cutting about half a centimetre into the meat. Rub the Harissa mixture all over the lamb, and then ideally set aside covered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to marinade. This step can be omitted if short on time.
- Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 150C (300F).
- Slice the onions and add them to a deep roasting tray. Place the lamb on top of the onions. Pour the chicken stock around the lamb, and then cover in foil.
- Roast at 150C (300F) for 4.5 – 5 hours, until the meat is super tender and shreds easily. Baste the lamb occasionally with the pan juices to keep the roast moist. The above steps can be completed in advance and the lamb glazed and reheated on Easter.
- Once soft and falling off the bone, remove the foil. Mix the glaze quantity of cumin seeds into the honey, then drizzle the honey mixture over the lamb fat. Place the lamb into the oven uncovered, turn the heat to 190C (370F), and roast for a further 30-40 minutes, until glazed, crispy and sticky.
- While the lamb glazes, make your Tzatziki, if you’re using it. Slice the cucumber down the middle, from top to bottom, and then use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut the cucumber into strips, then dice into cubes. Toss the cubes in a generous pinch of salt and set aside for 5 minutes in a sieve or colander. The salt with draw excess water from the cucumber; preventing the Tzatziki from becoming watery. Lightly squeeze the cucumber to drain off any remaining liquid, then add to the yoghurt with the finely chopped mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest in a warm spot while you bring the lunch together. Shred the lamb, then serve with roasting juices, and your Tzatziki, if using.
Notes
Tzatziki is a great accompaniment to this slow cooked lamb but you can skip it and simply serve the lamb with the lovely roasting juices as a jus if you want something more traditional.
Tips for jus: You can use a spoon to scoop excess fat from your pan jus. Alternatively, pour the pan juices and onions into a shallow bowl and pop into the freezer. Once solidified, remove the fat from the top, and then heat the sauce in the microwave. The sauce can be strained to remove the onions, served as is with sticky onions flecked throughout, or blended for thicker caramelized onion gravy.
If you have the time, do marinade the lamb overnight as it adds another level of sublime flavour to this Easter dish.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Main
- Method: Roasting
Nutrition
- Calories: 440.35kcal
- Sugar: 8.71g
- Sodium: 622.92mg
- Fat: 26.25g
- Saturated Fat: 11.25g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14.96g
- Fiber: 3.15g
- Protein: 34.83g
- Cholesterol: 119.88mg