Indirect and slow — a proper low-and-slow cook that rewards patience with meat that falls off the bone.
20 minsPrep
5 hoursCook
4 hours (overnight best)Marinate
6–8Serves
Ingredients
4kg lamb shoulder, bone-in
Rub
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon crushed dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Special equipment
9×13" aluminium drip pan
Wood chips
Meat thermometer
Method
Pat the lamb dry and score the joint with 1-inch-deep slits so the marinade can work its way in. Rub salt generously all over.
Mix the remaining spices with the olive oil into a paste, then smear it over the whole shoulder, working it into the slits with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Set the kettle up for indirect cooking at a low 120–175°C, with charcoal banked to one side and a drip pan under where the lamb will sit.
Cook low and slow for around 5 hours, topping up charcoal and wood chips as needed to hold temperature, until the meat is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone.
