GARLIC AND ROSEMARY LAMB SHOULDER

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Grilling time: 2 to 2.5 hours

Serves: 6-8

This recipe leans towards the traditional Kleftiko you might have tasted or seen on menus. For those of you that don't know it means that the Lamb is covered and cooked for a very long time at a moderate heat. The word 'kleftico' loosely translates to 'stolen' and it was cooked in a sealed pot underground to avoid drawing attention. The meat pulls away from the bone easily when it is done.

I, however, can't help but be a fan of that crispy outside when roasting lamb. In this recipe I've tried to combine the different methods to get the best of both worlds. In many ways this is similar to how our grandmothers prepared lamb in the Aga stove.

I made use of the new cast iron wok that Weber released recently but if you don't have one yet then you could try doing it with a foil drip tray or a regular oven pan. The most important thing with this recipe is to give it enough time.

Ingredients:

2-3kg Lamb Shoulder

2 Lemons

40g Oregano

40g Rosemary

250ml White wine

6 Garlic cloves

15ml Chicken stock powder

250ml boiling water

Foil

3 Carrots (peeled, cut in chunks)

1 Onion (peeled, cut in chunks)

3 small Sweet potatoes (whole)

Method:

Prepare an indirect fire and let it burn for about 35min. Use about 30 briquettes on each side.

Place the lamb shoulder in the wok. Using a small sharp knife make 6 holes big enough to push the garlic cloves into. Arrange the herbs on top and squeeze the lemon juice over the shoulder. Pour half the wine and chicken stock into the pan. Cover with foil and place the wok into the weber. Close the lid of the Weber.

Let it cook for 1-1.5 hour and remove the wok from the weber, replacing the lid. It depends on how much time you have but with this recipe longer is better.

Remove the foil, turn over the lamb and add the vegeatbles to the pan.

Cover with foil again and place the wok in the weber for another hour.

After an hour, remove the wok replacing the weber lid.

Remove the foil, liquid and veg then turn the lamb over again. Keep the veg to the side. The liquid can be thickened with corn flour for a gravy.

Return the wok to the weber without the foil. Cook for another hour. (You can add some extra briquettes for the last hour but make sure they burn for a good 20 - 30 minutes before adding them to the Weber. About 8 briquettes on each side. If the fire is still hot enough then don't add extra briquettes.)

After an hour or a bit more if you prefer, remove the lamb and let it rest. You can use this

time to reheat the veg if necessary or use the warming drawer to keep it warm.

Carve and serve. You can serve rice or even fresh bread with the lamb.

#garlic #rosemary #lamb #shoulder