Recipe – Weber Q Smoked Lamb Shoulder Ragu
Ingredients
| For the Lamb and Sauce | For the Lamb Rub |
| 1.5 to 2kg bone-in lamb shoulder | 3/4 tsp garlic granules |
| 300ml beef stock + spray bottle | 3/4 tsp dried oregano leaves |
| 500g vine cherry tomatoes | 1.5 tsp ground cumin |
| 2 tbsp olive oil | 1.5 tsp sweet paprika |
| 2 brown onions, finely diced | 1.5 tsp white sugar |
| 1 carrot, diced | 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper |
| 2 celery sticks, diced | 2 tsp sea salt |
| 1 cup red wine | 1/4 tsp chilli flakes |
| 2 rosemary sprigs | |
| 400g tin whole tomatoes | Grated pecorino cheese, to serve |
| 700g passata | Cooked pappardelle pasta, to serve |
Directions
Step 1 – Prepare the barbecue for cooking using indirect very low heat (110°C-130°C). If you are using a Weber Q2600N+, Weber Q2800N+ or Weber Family Q Barbecue, set up your barbecue with a convection tray, roasting trivet and water pan as directed. If desired, set up your barbecue with smoker boxes filled with soaked wood chips. (Recipe is not suitable for Baby Q or Weber Q models.)
Step 2 – Combine the lamb rub ingredients and coat the lamb shoulder all over with the rub.
Step 3 – Once the barbecue has preheated, adjust your barbecue to the settings for indirect very low heat. Place your lamb onto the trivet. Roast the lamb, with the lid closed, for 4 ½ hours, spritzing the lamb with beef stock every 60 minutes. Don’t forget to top up the water pan with water every 2 hours.
Step 4 – After 4 ½ hours, or until well coloured, place the lamb on several sheets of aluminium foil and generously spritz with the beef stock. Tightly wrap the lamb in foil. Insert a Weber meat probe into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding touching the bone. Cook for a further 2 hours over indirect very low heat or until the internal temperature reaches 96°C.
Step 5 – Once the lamb has cooked, remove it from the barbecue and leave it to rest in the foil while you cook the sauce.
Step 6 – Using heatproof gloves, remove the convection tray, trivet and water pan from the barbecue. Place a large Weber Q Casserole Dish (without lid) on the grill and turn the Q burner to Start/ High and turn the Plus burner off. Preheat the pan for 10 minutes.
Step 7 – Once the pan has preheated, add the oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or until golden brown and caramelised.
Step 8 – Add the red wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the passata and tinned tomatoes, squashing the tomatoes as desired. Add the rosemary sprigs and leave to cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. While the sauce is cooking, grill the cherry tomatoes. (For the cherry tomatoes; Lightly coat the tomatoes with olive oil and cook on the grill for 5 minutes, turning once). Remove the sauce and cherry tomatoes from the barbecue and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 9 – Place the lamb shoulder on top of the sauce, arrange the cherry tomatoes around the lamb. Pull the lamb in front of your guest and watch their delight! Serve with cooked pappardelle pasta and grated pecorino cheese.
