Cherry-Smoked Greek Lamb Shoulder with Lemon and Oregano

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A bone-in lamb shoulder rubbed with oregano, garlic and cumin, then smoked low and slow over cherry wood at 250°F until it pulls apart at 203°F internal. A lemon–red wine vinegar mop goes in the foil wrap, so the meat steams in bright, tangy juices while it finishes. Pile it into warm pita for an easy weekend feast with almost no hands-on work.

Ingredients

• 5 lb bone-in lamb shoulder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 chunks cherry wood chunks

• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 8 pita breads, warmed

Instructions

1. Set up your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F (120°C) and add 2 cherry wood chunks once the fire is clean and the smoke runs thin and blue. Keep the other 2 chunks for later.
2. Pat the lamb shoulder dry and rub it all over with the olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder and cumin in a small bowl and press the mixture over every surface, including the underside and around the bone.
3. Place the lamb fat-side up directly on the smoker grate and smoke at 250°F for about 4 hours, adding the remaining 2 wood chunks after the first hour. Do not open the lid otherwise. The shoulder is ready for the next step when it has a deep mahogany bark and reads about 165°F (74°C) internal.
4. Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and honey together. Lay out two long overlapping sheets of heavy-duty foil, set the lamb in the middle, pour the lemon mixture over the top and wrap tightly into a sealed parcel.
5. Return the wrapped shoulder to the smoker and cook at 250°F for a further 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until a probe or skewer slides into the thickest part with no resistance and the internal temperature reads 203°F (95°C).
6. Move the foil parcel to a tray, leave it sealed, and rest for 30 to 45 minutes. This is not optional; the juices need time to settle back into the meat.
7. Open the foil carefully, lift out and discard the bone, and pull the meat apart with two forks. Toss the shredded lamb through the lemony juices in the foil, then pile into warm pita.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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