Smoked Pulled Lamb Shawarma
This smoked pulled lamb shawarma is super tender & full of flavour! Cooked low & slow on a barbecue, this lamb makes for the best kebabs ever.
Servings: 10 Portions
Equipment
- Barbecue/Smoker
- Digital Food Probe
- Pestle & Mortar
- Microplane/Grater
- Small Frying Pan
- Spray Bottle
- Large Roasting Tin
Ingredients
- 2.5 kg Bone In Lamb Shoulder
Shawarma Marinade
- 2 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 4 Garlic Cloves Grated
- 2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sumac
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
To Spritz
- 50 ml Vinegar See Notes
- 150 ml Cold Water
To Braise
- 1 Litre Warm Lamb Stock
To Serve (For 4 Kebabs)
- 1 Red Onion
- ½ Cucumber
- 2 Large Vine Tomatoes
- A Small Handful Flat Leaf Parsley (Picked)
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 4 Flatbreads See Notes
- Tahini Garlic Sauce See Notes
- 200 g Pickled Red Cabbage See Notes
- Sumac
Instructions
Marinade
- Place the coriander, cumin & fennel seeds into a small frying pan then set over a medium-low heat & toast for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Once toasted, transfer the seeds to a bowl & leave to cool slightly.
- Place the seeds into a pestle & mortar, grind into a coarse powder then add in the remaining marinade ingredients. Stir to combine then set aside.
- Lightly score the lamb's fat in a criss-cross pattern then coat the entire shoulder with the marinade, massaging it into the meat with your hands (wear gloves!).
- Place the lamb into a container, cover with clingfilm then refrigerate overnight.
Smoking
- The next day, light your smoker/barbecue & leave to preheat to 275°f/135°c. Make sure that your barbecue is set up for indirect cooking.
- Once up to temperature, place the lamb shoulder fat side up in the barbecue then leave to cook undisturbed for 3 hours. Make sure to maintain a consistent barbecue temperature throughout the whole cook!
- In the meantime, add the vinegar & water into a spray bottle then set aside. We'll be using this to spritz the lamb.
- After 3 hours have passed, continue cooking but spray the lamb with the vinegar spritz every hour, until the lamb has taken on a decent amount of colour & the internal temperature is at least 165°f/74°c. This will roughly take another 2-3 hours.
Braising
- Next, transfer the lamb to a large roasting tin then pour in the warm lamb stock.
- Lay a sheet of baking parchment over the lamb then cover the tray with foil. Place the lamb back into the smoker (or in an oven) & continue cooking at 275°f/135°c until the meat probes like butter. This will take around 2-3 hours.You'll know when the lamb is ready when a food probe slides into the meat with little to no resistance.
- Let the lamb rest (still wrapped in the foil) for at least an hour then shred the meat by hand, discarding the bone (it should pull out clean). Mix the meat with some of the lamb's juices then serve!
Lamb Shawarma Kebabs
- Thinly slice the onion, cucumber & tomatoes then place into a mixing bowl. Add in the parsley leaves & olive oil then season with salt & pepper. Mix, to combine.
- To assemble the kebabs, lay flatbreads on plates then top each with a generous amount of pulled lamb, salad & pickled cabbage. Drizzle the lamb with the tahini garlic sauce then sprinkle each kebab lightly with sumac.
Notes
1. Lamb - For this shawarma, you'll need a 2.5 kg lamb shoulder with the bone left in. For the best flavour, I'd recommend letting the meat marinade for at least 12 hours or up to 24, before cooking.
2. Smoker/Barbecue – You can use any barbecue to cook the lamb as long as you can cook indirectly on it. If you’re using a charcoal barbecue, I’d recommend not adding in any extra wood as this could overpower the flavour of the lamb - we don't want it too smokey!
3. To Cook Without A Smoker – This lamb shawarma can also be cooked in an oven. To cook in an oven, place the marinated lamb into a roasting tin with the lamb stock, cover with a piece of baking parchment then wrap the tin in foil. Cook at 150°c/300°f until tender (this will take around 4-6 hours). Next, increase the oven temperature to 180°c/356°f, remove the foil & parchment, baste the lamb with the stock then roast for 20-30 minutes, to give the meat some colour.
4. Leftovers - Any leftover shawarma should be stored in the fridge & will keep for up to 3 days. To reheat, place shawarma into an ovenproof dish then cook in a 180°c/356°f oven. Alternatively, warm the lamb on the stove, in a saucepan.
5. Kebabs - I've included ingredients in the recipe card to make four lamb shawarma kebabs. Feel free to use the pulled lamb for whatever you like though! To make the kebabs from scratch, you'll need homemade flatbreads, tahini garlic sauce & pickled red cabbage.