Moroccan · Main course
Mechoui (Slow-Roasted Whole Lamb Shoulder)
Mechoui is Morocco's great feast dish — lamb, traditionally a whole animal, slow-roasted until the meat is spoon-tender and the skin crackles, rubbed simply with butter, cumin and salt so the meat itself is the star. In Marrakech's medina you'll find mechoui pits where whole shoulders roast overnight; this home version uses a bone-in shoulder.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 260 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 1 bone-in lamb shoulder (about 2–2.5 kg)
- 80 g soft butter (or smen for depth)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp salt, plus flaky salt to serve
- Black pepper
- A little olive oil
Method
- 1
Make the rub
Mash the soft butter with the garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper and a little oil into a paste.
- 2
Coat the lamb
Slash the shoulder in a few places and massage the butter rub all over, working it into the cuts. Let it sit 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
- 3
Roast low and slow
Roast covered (foil-tented or in a lidded roasting tin with a splash of water) at 150°C for about 3.5–4 hours, basting once or twice, until the meat pulls easily from the bone.
- 4
Crisp the outside
Uncover, raise the heat to 220°C and roast 15–20 minutes more to brown and crisp the surface.
- 5
Rest and serve
Rest 15 minutes, then pull the meat into chunks. Serve with small bowls of ground cumin and flaky salt for dipping, and warm bread.
Chef's tips
- Keep it covered for most of the cook so the meat steams tender, then uncover only at the end to crisp the outside.
- Cumin and salt for dipping is the traditional, and best, accompaniment — resist the urge to over-sauce mechoui.
- Smen (aged fermented butter) in the rub gives the deep, funky flavour of a medina mechoui pit.
Frequently asked questions
What cut is best for mechoui at home?
A bone-in lamb shoulder is ideal — its fat and connective tissue break down over the long, slow roast into meltingly tender meat. A leg works but is leaner and less forgiving.
How is mechoui traditionally eaten?
With the hands, pulling tender meat from the bone and dipping each piece into ground cumin and salt, with bread alongside. It is a shared, celebratory dish.