Slow-Roasted Lamb

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Slow-Roasted Lamb

By

Meliz Berg

Tender, fall-apart lamb slow-roasted on a bed of onions, garlic and fresh herbs, finished with a bright mint-coriander sauce. A hands-off roast perfect for a festive dinner—pop it in the oven and come back hours later to incredible, shreddable meat.

Yield

6

Time

4 hours 45 minutes

Rating

—

Ingredients

1.5 kg lamb shoulder or leg

Extra virgin olive oil (for rubbing and for the tray) — about 2–3 tbsp total

Sea salt, generous

Coarse black pepper, generous

2 large onions, peeled and halved

6 garlic cloves, smashed

3–4 sprigs fresh thyme

2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

500 ml chicken stock

Optional: 1–2 tomatoes, halved

Optional: 1 lemon, halved

For the mint sauce:

1 cup fresh mint leaves (packed)

1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 tsp dried mint

1–2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional).

Step 2

Prepare a trivet in a roasting tray with the halved onions, smashed garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables.

Step 3

Brush the lamb all over with extra virgin olive oil and season liberally with sea salt and coarse black pepper, including the underside.

Step 4

Place the seasoned lamb on top of the onion-and-herb trivet. Roast at 200°C fan (220°C conventional) for 30 minutes to develop color.

Step 5

Carefully remove the tray and add 500 ml chicken stock to the base. If using, add the halved tomatoes and lemon now for extra flavor.

Step 6

Cover the tray very tightly with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 160°C fan (180°C conventional). Return the lamb to the oven and cook undisturbed (do not baste or open) for 4 hours for a 1.5 kg joint.

Step 7

After the covered cook time, remove the foil and roast uncovered for a final 30 minutes to brown the exterior.

Step 8

Remove the lamb from the oven and rest, covered loosely with foil, for 30 minutes before carving or shredding.

Step 9

While the lamb rests, make the mint sauce: combine fresh mint, fresh coriander, dried mint, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blitz until combined; adjust seasoning. If desired, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce to your preferred consistency.

Step 10

Serve the shredded or carved lamb with the onion-herb-roasting juices and the fresh mint-coriander sauce.

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Slow-Roasted Lamb

By

Meliz Berg

Tender, fall-apart lamb slow-roasted on a bed of onions, garlic and fresh herbs, finished with a bright mint-coriander sauce. A hands-off roast perfect for a festive dinner—pop it in the oven and come back hours later to incredible, shreddable meat.

Yield

6

Time

4 hours 45 minutes

Rating

—

Ingredients

1.5 kg lamb shoulder or leg

Extra virgin olive oil (for rubbing and for the tray) — about 2–3 tbsp total

Sea salt, generous

Coarse black pepper, generous

2 large onions, peeled and halved

6 garlic cloves, smashed

3–4 sprigs fresh thyme

2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

500 ml chicken stock

Optional: 1–2 tomatoes, halved

Optional: 1 lemon, halved

For the mint sauce:

1 cup fresh mint leaves (packed)

1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 tsp dried mint

1–2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional).

Step 2

Prepare a trivet in a roasting tray with the halved onions, smashed garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables.

Step 3

Brush the lamb all over with extra virgin olive oil and season liberally with sea salt and coarse black pepper, including the underside.

Step 4

Place the seasoned lamb on top of the onion-and-herb trivet. Roast at 200°C fan (220°C conventional) for 30 minutes to develop color.

Step 5

Carefully remove the tray and add 500 ml chicken stock to the base. If using, add the halved tomatoes and lemon now for extra flavor.

Step 6

Cover the tray very tightly with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 160°C fan (180°C conventional). Return the lamb to the oven and cook undisturbed (do not baste or open) for 4 hours for a 1.5 kg joint.

Step 7

After the covered cook time, remove the foil and roast uncovered for a final 30 minutes to brown the exterior.

Step 8

Remove the lamb from the oven and rest, covered loosely with foil, for 30 minutes before carving or shredding.

Step 9

While the lamb rests, make the mint sauce: combine fresh mint, fresh coriander, dried mint, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blitz until combined; adjust seasoning. If desired, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce to your preferred consistency.

Step 10

Serve the shredded or carved lamb with the onion-herb-roasting juices and the fresh mint-coriander sauce.

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Rosemary and Dried Cherry Pork Chops

By Kendra Vaculin

Rehydrating dried cherries in hot water turns them plump and juicy—exactly what you want scattered throughout a rosemary-scented pan sauce for pork chops.

Greek-Style Pork Spareribs with Grilled Lemons

By Michael Symon

Michael Symon’s Greek-style pork spareribs are the perfect combination of crusty, meaty and nicely charred. They’re even better with a squeeze of grilled lemon.

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Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans

By Nargisse Benkabbou

This vibrant vegetarian dish combines savory broiled halloumi, juicy cherry tomatoes and creamy white beans for a satisfying one-pan meal. When broiled, the halloumi becomes golden and crispy on the outside while staying soft and chewy on the inside, adding a deliciously hearty texture to each bite. Highly adaptable, this recipe allows for any canned, creamy white bean that you have on hand, like butter beans or navy beans, and thyme can be used in place of oregano. With a drizzle of olive oil, a touch of honey and fresh herbs, this recipe is perfect for a quick, meatless weeknight dinner that feels special.

30 min

Coconut Milk Chicken Adobo

By Angela Dimayuga

When I left home, adobo was a dish I could cook off the top of my head. The name was bestowed by Spanish colonizers, referring to the use of vinegar and seasonings to preserve meat, but the stew existed long before their arrival. It is always made with vinegar, and often soy sauce, but there are as many adobo recipes as there are Filipino cooks. In this version, coconut — present in three forms: milk, oil and vinegar — brings silkiness and a hint of elegance. Every ingredient announces itself; none are shy. The braised whole peppercorns pop in your mouth.

1 hr 45 min

Greek Salad

By Lidey Heuck

While diner-style Greek salads made with chopped romaine, crumbled feta and often grilled chicken have become ubiquitous in American restaurants, a traditional Greek salad, or horiatiki salata, is a simpler affair. An assembled salad of large-diced vegetables with Kalamata olives and sometimes capers, this salad has no greens at all, and the feta is served sliced on top of the salad rather than crumbled and tossed into it. A traditional Greek salad dressing usually consists of olive oil and red wine vinegar; this recipe adds garlic and oregano. To make the salad into a satisfying vegetarian main course, throw in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.

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Glazed sweet-sour peppers meet their match: a textural medley of crispy chickpeas, crunchy croutons, and a creamy swoosh of ricotta cheese.

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By Shilpa Uskokovic

Savory cashew chicken meets tender asparagus in this lightning-fast weeknight stir-fry. Deeply roasted cashews provide a satisfying crunch.

Avga me Kolokithakia (Zucchini Omelet)

By Kate Winslow

Layers of thinly sliced zucchini, crumbled feta and fresh dill are bound with custardy eggs in this quick, Greek-inspired omelet.

1 hr

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By Shilpa Uskokovic

Inspired by Greek lemon potatoes, this sheet-pan dinner features garlicky chicken thighs roast to a crisp and blessing the potatoes with flavor and shine.