Gather round the barbecue for a long and slow cooking of the best of lateseason lamb.
Gather round the barbecue for a long and slow cooking of the best of late-season lamb.
Evening temperatures are cooling as we head into autumn, but we’re not about to pack away our barbecue. The charcoalburning Kamado Joe is well suited to slow-cooking lamb at this time of year, imparting a smokiness that pervades the food and air. Lamb bought in autumn is less tender and juicy than that bought in spring. Richer and darker, it’s ideal for gently stewing, slow roasting or baking over the coals for several hours.
Lamb shoulder is good value. It’s never as pricey as leg meat and has plenty of late-season fat for extra deliciousness. The cut I’ve found the best if I’m feeding several people is known as the square-cut shoulder. It’s underpinned by a shoulder flap bone and has a cap of fat that melts and infuses the meat. Rubbing salt onto the surface of the meat at least 24 hours before cooking gives an even better result, as it tenderises it.
Autumn vegetables are now plentiful and can be roasted together in one big dish while the lamb is cooking, to make an easy main course. I like tossing baby spinach leaves into the hot vegetables – they absorb the pan juices and any dressing and are a fresh finishing touch. Minted horseradish is the perfect condiment for both the vegetables and the lamb.
BARBECUED SLOW-BAKED SHOULDER OF LAMB
1 square-cut lamb shoulder, bones in 2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary ½ tsp black pepper
3 large agria potatoes
MINTED HORSERADISH YOGURT 1 cup unsweetened greek yogurt
½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp horseradish sauce 3 tbsp chopped mint
The day before cooking, lightly score the skin of the lamb, then sprinkle the salt over the surface on all sides. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To cook, preheat a hooded charcoal barbecue by burning the charcoal until it glows and the temperature
reaches about 180°C. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 150-160°C.
Meanwhile, take the lamb from the fridge and return it to room temperature. Finely chop the rosemary and rub it over the surface of the lamb with the black pepper.
Once the barbecue reaches an even temperature, put the lamb directly on the grill, surrounded by the potatoes. Turn down the heat and cook slowly at 150°C for 2½ hours, without turning. If you’re using the oven, place the lamb in a roasting pan and cook at 150°C for 2½ hours.
When the lamb is cooked through and tender, take it out, cover it and allow it to rest before carving. It should almost fall from the bone.
To make the horseradish sauce, tip the yogurt into a bowl and beat with a whisk to soften it a little. Stir in the salt, pepper, horseradish and mint, then taste – you may want to add some more salt or a little lemon juice according to your own palate.
Serves 6.
Wine match: pinot noir.
AUTUMN VEGETABLE BAKE
3 medium-sized parsnips 2 medium-sized kumara 200g pumpkin
12 small radishes
2 heads garlic, sliced in half horizontally 6 thyme sprigs
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt and black pepper
2 cups baby spinach leaves, washed 4 tbsp toasted pine nuts
DRESSING juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the parsnips, kumara and pumpkin. You want the vegetables to be fairly similar in size, so they all cook evenly. Cut each parsnip in half, then into two or three segments. Cut the kumara and pumpkin into wedges about the same thickness as the parsnip pieces. Trim the radishes and slice them in half.
Toss the vegetables in a large roasting pan or tray with the garlic, thyme, oil, salt and pepper, then spread them out evenly. Roast for 50-60 minutes, removing the pan from the oven a couple of times and giving it a good shake to toss the vegetables as they cook.
Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, honey and olive oil together, adding a little salt to taste.
When the vegetables are cooked, tip them onto a serving platter. Immediately toss through the spinach leaves, so they wilt a little. Scatter over the pine nuts, drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Serves 6.
Wine match: pinot noir.