Pulled Lamb (Middle Eastern Slow Cooked Lamb)
This Middle Eastern slow-cooked lamb is a showstopper! This is an excellent recipe to make for a special occasion for a weekend dinner. The slow-roasting will take time, but trust me it is so worth it! Serve the Pulled Lamb with vermicelli rice, fresh chopped salad and Greek yogurt.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 5 hr
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 Red onions (- Peeled and quartered )
- 2 Whole garlic bulbs (- Cut in half horizontally or broken into garlic cloves)
- 5 Sprigs of rosemary
- 10 Sprigs of thyme
- 3-5 Bay leaves
- 1 ½ tbsp Kosher salt (- If using table salt, cut the amount by half)
- 2 tsp Baharat (7-Spice blend) (- You can use equal parts ground cumin, coriander and cinnamon)
- 2 tsp Garlic powder (- Use salt free garlic powder, not garlic seasoning)
- 1 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp Ground cardamom (- Optional but recommended)
- 4-5 lbs Boneless lamb shoulder or leg (- see note)
- 2-3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 cup Chicken stock (- 250ml)
- ½ cup White wine (- 125ml, optional (replace with more stock))
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the roasting pan. To a roasting pan or braising dish, add the quartered onions, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
- 2
Season the lamb. In a small bowl, combine salt, 7-spice, garlic powder, black pepper and cardamom. Rub the entire surface of the lamb with the dry mix, making sure to get in any crevices (If your lamb came wrapped in mesh, remove the mesh and open it like a book to season all over). Roll it back up and secure it with twine or the mesh it came with. Place the lamb on the aromatics with the fat side up. Drizzle a little olive oil all over the lamb and the aromatics.
- 3
Sear. Preheat your oven to 500F/260C. Place the pot or roasting pan in the oven for 20 minutes. This will help brown the aromatics and add more depth of flavor.
- 4
Slow Roast. Lower your oven to 300F/150C. Add the chicken broth and optional white wine to the roasting dish, cover with foil or lid, and place it back in the oven to slow roast for 4-5 hours undisturbed.
- 5
Broil. After 4-5 hours, the meat should be quite tender. If not, slow roast for another hour. Remove the lid or foil, baste the meat with some of the lamb juices and crank up the oven to broil on high for 10-15 minutes. You want the top of the lamb to brown slightly. Don’t burn it!
- 6
Rest and Serve. Let the lamb rest for 10-20 minutes before you transfer it to a serving platter. Serve your roast lamb with your favorite sides. Feel free to squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the roast.