Honey & Co’s recipe for slow-cooked shredded lamb shoulder

If there is one thing we love, it is a low-effort, high-impact dish, and if it can feed a crowd, even better. This one is a triumph of the genre: all the lamb shoulder requires from you is a quick (but potent) marinade and a long, leisurely soak in the oven with an occasional baste. The salsa joins it in the oven – indeed, on the same tray – and just needs some coarse chopping afterwards, leaving you plenty of time and energy to prepare a sharp, colourful, showstopping salad.

Slow-cooked shredded lamb shoulder

Present the lamb in its baking tray and, as your guests gather around, offer up the salad and salsa, a stack of flatbread and maybe some yoghurt and whatever hot sauce you have, and bask in the glory. No one will ever suspect how little effort was involved.

Prep 15 min
Chill 4 hr+
Cook 4 hr min
Serves 8-10

1 whole lamb shoulder on the bone (about 3kg)
100g gochujang
100g orange marmalade
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp coriander seeds

For the burnt chilli and orange relish
1 red pepper
2 red chillies
2 red onion, peeled and halved
1 orange, halved
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp white-wine vinegar

For the red onion sumac salad
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1 clementine, peeled and sliced
2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
30g parsley, leaves picked
50g rocket

For the dressing
2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sumac
½ tsp sea salt

Use a sharp knife to score deep, crisscross cuts all over the flesh of the lamb shoulder. Mix the gochujang, marmalade, salt and coriander seeds, then rub this mixture all over the lamb, cover and chill for at least four hours, and ideally overnight.

Heat the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9 and put the marinated lamb shoulder in a large, deep roasting tray. Put the whole pepper, two whole chillies, red onions and orange to one side of the tray, then roast for 30 minutes. Lift out the now slightly scorched veg and put to one side, cover the lamb with a lid or foil, and roast for another 30 minutes.

Turn down the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7, add 500ml water to the tray, then baste the lamb all over. Cover again and roast for 30 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, baste the lamb again, then cover and cook for another hour. Turn down the heat to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, baste the lamb again, then cover and roast for a final hour. If by this stage there’s hardly any liquid left in the tray, add a tiny bit more water.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. Remove and discard the pith and seeds from the roast peppers and chillies, peel off most of the skin (if it comes away easily), then chop the flesh into small pieces. Chop the onions and orange (skin and all) into small pieces (you can also pulse them in a food processor, but do try to keep a little texture).

Put the pepper mix and the onion mix in a small saucepan, add the sugar, salt, vinegar and 120ml water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, until the salsa reduces and thickens. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

To make the salad, put the orange and clementine, as well as any of their juices in a large salad bowl. Add the sliced red onion, parsley leaves and rocket. Shake or whisk the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad just before serving, tossing to coat.

Use tongs and a fork to pull the meat apart, so the flesh is shredded and mixes into the residual spiced juices in the roasting tray. Serve the lamb hot with the salsa, salad and flatbreads or tortilla wraps for everyone to assemble their own.