Pulled Lamb with Pomegranate Mint Yogurt

Fall off the bone, pulled lamb, slow cooked in the oven, served with a refreshing mint and pomegranate yogurt.

PULLED LAMB RECIPE

What can I say about this pulled lamb shoulder with pomegranate and mint? I liked it so much, I could not stop eating it. Although I was quite full already before we even sat down to eat.

I had to tear the shoulder of lamb apart and take pictures before we had our meal and while doing that I kept eating that lamb like there was no tomorrow.

So soft, so delicate, so packed with flavor… I could make it again tomorrow!

LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE AND MINT YOGURT

I was looking for a Mexican recipe for carnitas a few weeks ago and while drooling over those pictures of wraps stuffed with shredded pork, I actually remembered that I meant to cook a lamb recipe for this Easter series on Where Is My Spoon. And I thought, if slow cooked pork is so good, pulled lamb must be even better.

I don’t make lamb too often, it is expensive and relatively difficult to come by around here. You always have to order it in advance at the butcher’s and if you want to buy it frozen you have to drive at least 20 km to get it.

But now and then I am able to buy it fresh at the Turkish/Russian supermarket (again 20 km driving for it and fingers crossed they have it on that day I happen to need it).

So lamb is always a special treat for us and maybe it is better this way, we can appreciate it more if we don’t have it that often.

INGREDIENTS FOR PULLED LAMB SHOULDER

Lamb shoulder:

• My shoulder of lamb weighed almost 1,9 kg/ 4 lbs. However, it is not so important how much your lamb weighs.
• If it is between 1,6 – 2 kg/ 3.5 – 4.4 lbs, everything should be fine, the meat is slow cooked and it should fall of the bone at the end of the cooking process, so you cannot really overcook it.

Spices:

• The spice mixture for the pulled lamb with pomegranate dip is Middle East inspired, it was wonderful, but you can choose other spices, if you wish.
• The spices here are just a suggestion and they fit the mint pomegranate yogurt which is served as a side very well, not to mention the herbed bulgur wheat salad that I will post during the next days.

Pomegranate mint yogurt:

• I love this fresh tasting pomegranate and mint dip.
• It compliments this fall off the bone lamb shoulder perfectly, lamb can be pretty heavy, but served with a refreshing yogurt mint dip and pomegranate seeds, really makes it even better than it already is.

Otherwise, there is really not much to say about this slow cooked shoulder of lamb recipe, it is so easy to make, there is so little actual work involved.

An impressive looking and tasting lamb recipe with the minimum amount of effort involved.

HOW TO SERVE THE ROASTED SHOULDER OR LAMB?

I served this pulled lamb with bulgur wheat salad, whole roasted cauliflower and pomegranate and mint dip.

However, you can consider the following side dishes as well:

• Zucchini with Pesto

• Garlic Smashed Potatoes

• French Style Green Beans

• Braised Fennel with Apples

• Couscous Salad

• Buckwheat Salad

More roast recipes:

Basic Roast Leg of Lamb with White Wine and Potatoes

Pork in Tomato Sauce

Roasted Turkey Drumsticks

Turkey Thigh Roast with Potatoes and Pumpkin

Easy Roast Beef with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Pulled Lamb with Pomegranate Mint Yogurt

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours 54 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours 14 minutes

Fall off the bone, pulled lamb, slow cooked in the oven, served with a refreshing mint and pomegranate yogurt.

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Ingredients

• Lamb:
• 1 shoulder of lamb, about 1,6 – 2 kg/ 3.5 – 4.4 lbs
• 5 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 500 ml/ 1 pint/ 2 cups water
• Mint and Pomegranate Yogurt:
• 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon clear honey
• 2 garlic cloves, grated (optional)
• 1 small pomegranate
• 1 small bunch mint

Instructions

Lamb:

1. Mix together the grated garlic cloves, cinnamon, cumin, cardamon, paprika powder, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the lamb with this mixture all over and marinate for at least a couple of hours (up to 24 hours). Take the meat out of the fridge one hour before it should go into the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius/ 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the lamb with the fat side up in a roasting pan and arrange the sliced onions around it. Pour the water around it. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 4 hours.
3. Turn the heat up to 220 degrees Celsius/ 430 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste the meat with the juices from the pan, cover again and continue roasting for another 15 minutes. The meat should be really tender.
4. Remove the foil, baste well again and roast for another 30 minutes to get a nice crust. Remove the meat from the pan and reserve the juices for serving.
5. While the meat rests shortly make the mint and pomegranate yogurt.

Pomegranate and Mint Yogurt:

1. Place the yogurt in a small bowl, add the honey, grated garlic, 2/3 of the pomegranate seeds and 2/3 of the finely chopped mint. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.

Serve:

1. Shred the lamb with two forks and serve on a bed of herbed bulgur, drizzled with the roasting juices and sprinkled with the remaining pomegranate seeds and mint.
2. Serve with the mint and pomegranate yogurt.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1/6 of the dish
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 947Total Fat: 64gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 261mgSodium: 743mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 13gProtein: 71g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.