Serve this delicious, slow-cooked lamb dish in freshly warmed corn tacos with salsa.
For meat which supports local farmers prioritising sustainable methods, check out the Sussex Grazed shop on the Open Food Network.
Serves 4 people
Method
- Make deep scores in the meat on both sides 2″deep, 2″apart. Repeat on the opposite angle to form a square pattern.
- Stud the meat with the garlic cloves & rosemary and cover with the salt and dried herbs.
- Place a generous cup of water into the pressure cooker/ slow cooker pot or oven proof dish and insert a trivet to support the meat. The meat must not touch the water as it needs to steam.
- Throw the chickpeas into the water.
- Wrap the meat up in the banana leaves like a present.
- Cook in the pressure cooker for 50 minutes. (5 hours in the oven or 8 hours in a slow cooker.)
- Once the meat is tender, remove it from the bone and shred it. Use the leaves to line an oven proof dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour uncovered at 200°c.
- The chickpeas, which have cooked in the water and lamb juices, can be ladled out, with broth, into cups or bowls.
- Serve the lamb in freshly warmed corn tacos with salsa.
Notes:
If using an oven dish or slow cooker, soak the chickpeas in cold water over night before hand. For oven cooking make a tin foil parcel around the baking dish to allow the meat to steam.
Ingredients
1/2 shoulder lamb (hogget) blade end
1/2 bulb garlic
1 large bay leaf
4 sprigs of rosemary
Dried oregano (plus optional dried Mexican epazote/ marjoram /thyme)
A good sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Banana leaves (or baking parchment or foil) to wrap the meat
2 handfuls of dried chickpeas
