Name: Hāngī-Inspired Slow-Cooked Lamb
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: New Zealand
Ingredients: 3 1/2 lb (1.6 kg) boneless lamb shoulder, cut into large 3-inch chunks; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional — a nod to the earth oven's smoke); 2 tbsp neutral oil, for searing; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried rosemary); 2 large kūmara (orange sweet potatoes, about 2 lb / 900 g), peeled and cut into thick rounds; 1 small pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g), peeled and cut into wedges; 4 medium waxy potatoes, scrubbed and halved; 1 large onion, thickly sliced; 8–10 large outer cabbage leaves, plus 2 cups shredded cabbage; 1 cup (240 ml) lamb or chicken stock; 4 cups (about 200 g) day-old bread, torn into small pieces; 1 small onion, finely diced; 3 tbsp butter, melted; 2 tbsp fresh sage or thyme leaves, chopped (or 2 tsp dried sage or thyme); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 cup (60 ml) warm stock or milk, as needed

A traditional Māori hāngī cooks lamb and root vegetables in a pit of hot stones, buried under earth until everything emerges smoky, steamy, and impossibly tender. This slow-cooker adaptation keeps the hāngī’s architecture — meat layered over kūmara, pumpkin, and potatoes, a blanket of cabbage leaves, and the herbed bread stuffing no hāngī is complete without — and lets time do the work the hot stones usually do. The result is fall-apart lamb and vegetables saturated with its juices, ready for a family table without digging a pit in the garden.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time8 hours

Total Time8 hours 30 mins

Servings8

Yield8 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

720 kcalCalories
38 gFat
15 gSaturated Fat
52 gCarbs
7 gFiber
12 gSugar
42 gProtein
780 mgSodium
1,150 mgPotassium
85 mgCalcium
5 mgIron
38 mgVitamin C
920 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the lamb and seasoning

3 1/2 lb (1.6 kg) boneless lamb shoulder, cut into large 3-inch chunks
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional — a nod to the earth oven’s smoke)
2 tbsp neutral oil, for searing
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried rosemary)

Lamb shoulder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Smoked paprika

Neutral oil

Garlic cloves

Fresh rosemary

For the vegetables

2 large kūmara (orange sweet potatoes, about 2 lb / 900 g), peeled and cut into thick rounds
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g), peeled and cut into wedges
4 medium waxy potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 large onion, thickly sliced
8–10 large outer cabbage leaves, plus 2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup (240 ml) lamb or chicken stock

Sweet potato

Pumpkin

Waxy potatoes

Onion

Cabbage

Chicken stock

For the hāngī stuffing

4 cups (about 200 g) day-old bread, torn into small pieces
1 small onion, finely diced
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp fresh sage or thyme leaves, chopped (or 2 tsp dried sage or thyme)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) warm stock or milk, as needed

Stale white bread

Onion

Melted butter

Dried sage

Salt

Whole milk

Directions

Make the stuffing first: combine the torn bread, diced onion, melted butter, herbs, and salt in a bowl. Add the warm stock (or milk) a spoonful at a time, mixing with your hands, until the mixture just holds together when squeezed. Set aside.
Season the lamb all over with the salt, pepper, and smoked paprika (if using). Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and sear the lamb in batches until well browned on at least two sides, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and scatter the garlic and rosemary over the hot meat.
Line the bottom and sides of a large slow cooker (6-quart or bigger) with half the cabbage leaves, overlapping them — this is the hāngī basket lining, and it keeps everything steaming in its own juices.
Layer the kūmara, pumpkin, and potatoes over the cabbage, then the sliced onion and shredded cabbage. Season the vegetables lightly with a pinch of extra salt.
Pack the stuffing in a flat layer over the vegetables — in a real hāngī the stuffing cooks in the middle and drinks in the meat juices from above. Arrange the seared lamb on top of the stuffing and pour over any resting juices plus the cup of stock.
Cover the lamb completely with the remaining cabbage leaves, tucking them in at the edges like a blanket. Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 1/2–5 hours), without lifting the lid — the trapped steam is the whole point.
The lamb is done when it shreds easily with two forks and the kūmara is completely tender. Lift off the top cabbage leaves (they are edible and delicious, even if darkened).
Serve family-style straight from the cooker: a spoonful of stuffing, vegetables, and shredded lamb on each plate, with the cooking juices ladled over. A simple watercress or green salad alongside is the classic accompaniment.

Cook’s Notes

Be honest with the name: this is hāngī-inspired, not a hāngī. The earth oven’s smoke and mineral steam cannot be faked — the smoked paprika is a gentle nod, not a substitute. If you ever get the chance to eat a real hāngī in New Zealand, take it.
Do not skip the cabbage blanket. It insulates the meat, bastes everything as it wilts, and stops the top layer from drying out over the long cook.
Kūmara is the traditional sweet potato of the hāngī; any orange sweet potato works. Keep the pieces thick — thin slices dissolve over 8 hours.
The stuffing is not optional garnish: it is a defining part of a hāngī and the best vehicle for the lamb juices. Bread that is a day or two old absorbs far better than fresh.
Leftovers keep for 3 days refrigerated and reheat beautifully, covered, at 160°C (325°F) with a splash of stock. The flavors deepen noticeably on day two.