Slow Roasted Lamb Souvlaki | Slow Cooked Lamb Souvlaki Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of lamb for slow cooking? ›

Cuts of lamb that are popular for slow cooking include the shoulder, leg, forequarter, shanks, neck chops, lamb ribs, and some sausages. These cuts are usually tougher because they have lots of connective tissue and fats, but this makes them perfect for slow and low methods of cooking.

Slow-cooking lamb requires patience. While cooking, resist the urge to keep checking on the lamb and refrain from opening the oven or slow cooker. Opening the lid or foil too often will lower the temperature and extend the cooking time, making the meat less juicy and tender.

You do not need to marinate lamb leg for long hours if you don't have the time. But first, make sure you season the lamb well with kosher salt and black pepper. And for best flavor, give the meat a good rub with fresh garlic, spices, and dried herbs (see my lamb seasoning below).

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150C to soften the meat.

It's difficult to overcook shanks, especially in a slow cooker. However, if you leave them in the cooker for many more hours than the recipe suggests, they may completely fall apart, and the meat can eventually turn stringy and dry. It can still be eaten, however it won't be as succulent and delicious.

Slow cooking in liquid transforms tougher cuts of lamb into fork-tender meat. Neck, shoulder and belly, either diced or as whole joints, are the best cuts for slow cooking and need to be cooked for at least 2 hrs at 150°C to soften the meat.

Brown the lamb first, in batches if necessary. This will maintain a high heat in the pan and caramelise the juices, which will improve the colour and flavour of the meat. Although lamb is a little more fatty than other meats, don't trim all of it away before cooking.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

For the perfect roast lamb, we recommend seasoning the surface of the meat, and then searing it, especially fat side down in a pan before roasting. Why bother with searing? Contrary to some stories, searing is less about locking in moisture, and all about improving the flavour!

Fattier cuts of lamb should be roasted long and slow at a low temperature, while leaner cuts of meat should be cooked at a high temperature for the first several minutes and then at a lower temperature the rest of the time. Braising is a popular technique for cooking less-tender cuts of lamb.

What can I add to lamb to tenderize it? ›

Baking soda / bi-carb and cornflour/cornstarch are the secret ingredients that tenderise the lamb meat. It's a technique called “velveting” that is used by Chinese restaurants, and it's the reason why the meat in your favourite Chinese dishes are always so soft.

Cooking It When Its Too Cold

However, this adjustment often results in unevenly cooked meat with a cold, chewy inside and a tough, burnt outside. Instead, let the lamb come to room temperature for about an hour or two, so you have a much easier time cooking the meat evenly.

Cook in stock and lower the temperature to around 150 to 170 degrees celsius. A slow cooked lamb is not stringy, and if you cook too long at too low, the proteins will toughen. I usually cook at 160, and it gets me perfect lamb every time.

Never brown or partially cook meat or poultry to refrigerate and finish later because any bacteria present would not have been destroyed. It is safe to partially cook meat and poultry in the microwave or on the stove only if the food is transferred immediately to the hot grill to finish cooking.

If you have an extra 10 minutes, it's often worth browning the meat before slow cooking it. Browning or searing the meat in a hot pan caramelises its surface, which can give the final dish a richer, deeper flavour and colour. The high temperatures also help to render the fat on the surface of your lamb.

Shoulder or leg of lamb: both of these cuts are perfect in a stew or casserole when diced. Meat from the shoulder needs to be trimmed of excess fat first; while meat from the leg gives neater, leaner pieces of meat than the shoulder. Both are meltingly tender with a fantastic flavour.

We think stew meat from the shoulder is best, as it becomes incomparably tender during stewing and braising. You can save money by buying deboned portions of the shoulder and cutting it into one-and-a-half-inch cubes yourself.

Lamb shoulder is a cheaper roasting joint than leg of lamb because the shoulder has a more fat but is much sweeter in flavour. Ideal for the slow cooker. The shoulder takes a while to become tender, but this means it's a great choice for stewing and slow roasting.