Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder With Stout

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg)
2 onions, halved and sliced into wedges
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 large rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
250ml stout
60ml malt vinegar
250ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
steamed greens, to serve

The sweet, dark honey flavours in stout are perfect with lamb, and the combination makes for a great slow-cooked recipe. Serves 4.

It is not uncommon to see lamb paired with honey, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. In many Moroccan recipes, cooked lamb is drizzled with honey or added to tagines. Don’t eat this straight from the oven — leave it for an hour or so and drink with a slightly chilled stout.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Heat the oil in a flameproof, heavy-based casserole dish over high heat. Cook the lamb, skin side down, for 5 minutes, or until the fat is golden brown. Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes.
Strew the onion, garlic, rosemary and bay leaf over the lamb, then season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use a large spoon or tongs to push the ingredients around in the pan, so the onion starts to sizzle in the oil. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion smells sweet and just starts to colour.
Add the stout, vinegar, stock and sugar. Give the pan a shake to loosen any bits that are stuck. Turn the lamb over a couple of times so the ingredients are well combined.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid, then transfer to the oven and bake for 2½–3 hours, or until the lamb easily pulls away from the bone.
Remove from the oven, leave to rest for a while, then serve with steamed greens.