Meats

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Dates & Garlic

Ingredients

  • 2.3-2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 12 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 10 Medjool dates, pitted and halved
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 500ml chicken or beef stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pomegranate seeds and parsley, to serve

Directions

  • Heat the oven to 170C fan. Put the onions, garlic and dates in a deep roasting dish.
  • Mix the pomegranate molasses, oil, honey, spices, salt and pepper. Rub over the lamb and set it on top of the onions. Pour the stock around it.
  • Cover tightly with baking paper and foil. Roast for 4-4 1/2 hours, or longer if needed, until the lamb pulls apart easily.
  • Uncover and roast at 220C for 15-20 minutes until browned, keeping an eye on it.
  • Rest for 20 minutes. Spoon over the dates, garlic and pan juices, then finish with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

Slow Cook Sunday: a fall-apart bone-in lamb shoulder with dates, garlic and pomegranate molasses. A little prep, a few hours in the oven, then set it in the middle of the table. Serves 6-7. From Gabriella on Instagram.