This weekend I reached the grand old age of 24. And what better way to celebrate my anniversary of birth than with a piece of lamb that weighs the same amount as I did when I was born. As a man who loves cooking and more importantly eating, it was important for me to spend money on a sodding massive piece of meat.
After struggling to fit the joint in the largest roasting tray we own on a bed of red onions. I made a spice rub with dry spices like cumin, chilli, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and smoked paprika. Fresh chillis and garlic were then mixed together with olive oil, to make a wet rub for the outside of the meat. Following that, I cut a hole into the meat which was stuffed with rosemary, thyme and more garlic.
I roasted the meat over two days, starting the roast to cook it through for about 3 hours on a medium heat. It was then roasted on a low heat for another 6 hours, with stock in the tray keeping it basted and moist.
When the lamb was about an hour from being cooked I added fresh tomatoes and peppers to the meaty mix in the tray ready for the sauce.
After the meat had done its time in roasting purgatory it was left to stand in limbo for half an hour or so, giving plenty of time to finish the sauce.
After blending the contents of the baking tray, including all the meat juices and stock onions toms and peppers, the whole lot was allowed to boil down, later adding balsamic vinegar and ketchup to lighten the proceedings.
The next step was to add the pulled meat to the sauce which we ate with flat breads and a potato raita salad, but would work or equally well with couscous or rice.
The amount of meat involved fed 3 of us initially, then another 6 to snack on mid-drinking session and 2 lunches at work with tomatoes, yoghurt and mint. The bones and residual meat were remaining, which are being used to make soup, which will (looking at the pot of soup in front of me) feed us to eternity.
To be continued...
Slainte
Jim
