Barbecue Pulled Lamb with Sweet Potato Chips Recipe

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
500g butterflied lamb shoulder* or 1kg lamb shoulder joint
2 red onions
4 garlic cloves
50g maple syrup
½-1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
400g chopped tomatoes
100-300ml boiling water
1 beef stock cube
500g potatoes
500g sweet potatoes
1 tsp ground coriander

Total: 2 hrs 30 mins-6 hrs 20 mins *You'll need to unroll and halve the lamb if using a boned and rolled joint. Takes about 3 hrs 40 mins on the hob, and about 8 hrs 20 mins in the slow cooker. If using hob method, skip to step 10, when first 2 steps are completed.

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Method

1. Warm a frying pan or casserole dish on the hob for 1 min. When warm, drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil and add the butterflied lamb shoulder. Fry for 10-15 mins, turning every now and then till browned all over.

2. While the lamb is browning, peel and thinly slice the onions. Peel and grate 3 of the garlic cloves. Mix the maple syrup, ½ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin and the Dijon mustard. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper. From this point, follow the instructions for the slow cooker or on the hob method.

3. Slow cooker: Pop the browned lamb into a 3½ltr slow cooker. Keep the pan you cooked the lamb in on the heat and add the onions. Fry for 4 mins to slightly soften them.

4. Add the garlic to the onions and fry for 1 min. Tip the onions in to the slow cooker with the lamb. Add the smoky maple sauce and the tin of chopped tomatoes. Pour in 100ml boiling water and crumble in the stock cube. Gently stir everything together then pop the lid on the slow cooker.

5. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6-7 hrs. For a faster stew, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5-6 hrs, or set to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.

6. When the lamb has 1 hr left to cook, preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into 1-1.5 cm-thick chips and place them on a baking tray. Peel and grate the remaining garlic clove and place it into a small bowl. Add 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well. Pour this over the chips and toss to coat them. Slide them into the oven for 45 mins, turning them over halfway through cooking.

7. Taste the lamb sauce and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. If you’d like the lamb to taste smokier, add an extra ½ tsp smoked paprika. Lift the lamb out of the sauce and place it on a chopping board. Shred it into chunks with a couple of forks and then stir it back into the sauce.

8. Serve the lamb with the chips along with the sauce to dip and dunk.

9. On the hob: Place the pan you cooked the lamb in back on the hob. Add the onions to the pan and cook gently for 6 mins till softened and lightly coloured. Add the garlic to the pan and fry for 1 min.

10. Add the lamb back to the pan and tip in the smoky maple sauce. Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes with 100ml water and crumble in the stock cube. Pop the lid on. Cook on a medium-low heat, stirring every now and then, for 2 hrs, till the lamb shoulder is tender and can be pulled apart with a couple of forks. . Add more liquid if you need to.

11. Add the lamb back to the pan and tip in the smoky maple sauce. Pour in the tin of chopped tomatoes with 300ml water and crumble in the stock cube. Pop the lid on. Cook on a medium-low heat, stirring every now and then, for 2 hrs, till the lamb shoulder is tender and can be pulled apart with a couple of forks. . Add more liquid if you need to.

12. When the lamb has 1 hr left to cook, preheat your oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/Gas 6. Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into 1-1.5 cm thick chips and place them on a baking tray. Peel and grate the remaining garlic clove and place it into a small bowl. Add 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in 2 tbsp olive oil and mix well. Pour this over the chips and toss to coat them. Slide them into the oven for 45 mins, turning them over halfway through cooking.

13. Taste the lamb sauce and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. If you’d like the lamb to taste smokier, add an extra ½ tsp smoked paprika. Lift the lamb out of the sauce and place it on a chopping board. Shred it into chunks with a couple of forks and then stir it back into the sauce.

14. Serve the lamb with the chips along with the sauce to dip and dunk.