Moroccan · Main course
Festive Lamb Shoulder with Ras el Hanout
A whole lamb shoulder rubbed with a generous ras el hanout, garlic and smen, then roasted low and slow until the spiced crust darkens and the meat pulls away in tender shreds — the home-oven answer to a whole mechoui for a family celebration. Served with cumin and salt for dipping, it is festive food that needs little more than bread and a salad.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 210 min
- Total
- 230 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 1 whole lamb shoulder, about 2 kg, bone in
- 2 tbsp ras el hanout
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp smen or 60 g butter, softened
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin, plus extra to serve
- Salt and black pepper
- Cumin-salt mix, to serve
Method
- 1
Make the rub
Mash the ras el hanout, garlic, smen, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper into a paste.
- 2
Coat the lamb
Rub the paste all over the shoulder, working it into every crease, and ideally leave it to marinate a few hours or overnight.
- 3
Slow roast covered
Set the shoulder in a roasting tin with a little water, cover tightly with foil and roast at 150°C for about three hours until very tender.
- 4
Brown
Uncover, raise the heat to 200°C and roast 20–30 minutes more to darken and crisp the spiced crust.
- 5
Rest and pull
Rest 15 minutes, then pull the meat apart at the table and serve with a bowl of cumin and salt for dipping.
Chef's tips
- Cook it covered first for tenderness, then uncovered to crisp the crust — the two stages give the mechoui effect at home.
- A splash of water in the tin keeps the base moist and stops the spices scorching during the long roast.
- The cumin-and-salt dip served alongside is essential; it is how mechoui-style lamb is traditionally eaten.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from real mechoui?
True mechoui is a whole lamb spit-roasted or cooked in a pit oven; this oven-roasted shoulder captures the spirit and flavour at family scale in a home kitchen.
Can I use leg instead of shoulder?
Yes, though shoulder is fattier and more forgiving, staying juicier through the long roast. Leg needs careful timing to avoid drying out.