Cherry-Smoked Pulled Lamb with Lemon and Oregano

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A boneless lamb shoulder rubbed with oregano, garlic and coriander, then smoked low and slow over cherry wood at 250°F until it pulls apart at 203°F. Foil-wrapped with lemon juice partway through so it stays juicy, then shredded and piled into warm pita with cool yogurt and red onion. Almost all of the time is hands-off.

Ingredients

• 4 lb boneless lamb shoulder, tied
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 whole lemons (zested and juiced)
• 3 chunks cherry wood chunks

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 whole pita breads, warmed

Instructions

1. Pat the lamb shoulder dry and trim any thick pockets of hard fat, leaving a thin even layer. Rub all over with the olive oil, then mix the salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder and coriander and pack it onto every surface. Let it sit at room temperature while the smoker comes up to heat.
2. Set your smoker for indirect cooking at 250°F and add 2 cherry wood chunks once the fire is settled and the smoke runs thin and blue. Add the third chunk about an hour in for a light, sweet smoke that suits lamb.
3. Place the lamb fat-side up directly on the grate and smoke undisturbed for 4 to 5 hours, until it has a deep mahogany bark and the internal temperature in the thickest part reads 165°F.
4. Lay the lamb on a double sheet of heavy foil, pour over the juice of both lemons, and wrap tightly. Return to the smoker at 250°F for another 2 to 3 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 203°F and a probe slides into the meat with no resistance.
5. Leave it wrapped and rest in a dry cooler or a turned-off oven for 45 minutes. This is not optional; it lets the juices settle so the meat shreds moist rather than dry.
6. Open the foil over a tray to catch the juices. Pull out any bones or fat and shred the lamb with two forks, then toss it through the collected pan juices along with the lemon zest and a pinch more oregano. Taste and add salt if needed.
7. Pile the pulled lamb into warm pita with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a tangle of sliced red onion.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem