Slow-cooked lamb shoulder
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder
Recipe by Ayo Adeyemi
Spicy, tender and juicy, serve this pull-apart lamb with rice or flatbreads for mopping up all the juices
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (1 of 6 portions)
Calories
483Kcal
Fat
27gr
Saturates
10gr
Carbs
4gr
Sugars
4gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
55gr
Salt
2gr
Ayo Adeyemi
Ayo Adeyemi is the executive chef at West African fine dining restaurant Akoko in London’s Fitzrovia. Born in the UK to Nigerian parents, Ayo has worked in Michelin- star kitchens around the world, but the menu at Akoko is a real reflection of his heritage, expertly balancing umami, spice and fire.
See more of Ayo Adeyemi’s recipes
Ayo Adeyemi
Ayo Adeyemi is the executive chef at West African fine dining restaurant Akoko in London’s Fitzrovia. Born in the UK to Nigerian parents, Ayo has worked in Michelin- star kitchens around the world, but the menu at Akoko is a real reflection of his heritage, expertly balancing umami, spice and fire.
See more of Ayo Adeyemi’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.8-2kg bone-in lamb shoulder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1⁄2 tbsp onion granules
- 1⁄2 tbsp garlic granules
- 1⁄2 tbsp scotch bonnet or hot chilli powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- coriander, to garnish
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 1 Maggi seasoning cube or stock cube*
Step by step
Get ahead
Marinate the lamb the night before. Part-prepare the sauce up to the end of step 5 up to 24 hours ahead.
- Score the outer meat with the tip of a sharp knife and rub the meat with the olive oil. Combine the onion and garlic granules, spices, pepper and salt together and generously massage into the lamb shoulder. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight, loosely covered (see ‘Get ahead’ above; the sauce can also be partly made ahead).
- Remove the lamb from the fridge at least an hour before cooking to come up to room temperature.
- Light the charcoal in a lidded barbecue, with plenty of coals heaped to one side to give both direct and indirect heat (or use a covered gas barbecue that offers these cooking options).
- When the flames have died down and the charcoal is ashy but glowing, sear the lamb over direct heat on both sides. Wrap in a foil parcel, transfer to a foil tray and continue to slow cook via indirect heat in the now-covered barbecue for 2-3 hours (depending on joint size and the barbecue temperature), until soft and tender. Check the heat level after about 1 1⁄2 hours and add more charcoal if needed. When ready, allow to rest, still in its tray to save the roasting juices.
- For the sauce, add the olive oil to a saucepan and sweat the onions and peppers over a medium heat until caramelised; this can be done ahead of serving.
-
Dissolve the seasoning or stock cube in 150ml boiling water then add this and the reserved juices from the lamb to the saucepan and cook down until reduced, thick and syrupy. Spoon on top of the cooked lamb shoulder – the meat should simply pull apart using a couple of forks. Garnish with coriander leaves.
*Use gluten-free stock, if required.
Cooking indoors?
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cook for 25 minutes initially then turn down to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3, and roast for 2-3 hours until the meat is falling apart.
