Name: Hangi Style Slow-Roasted Lamb
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: New Zealand Maori
Ingredients: 1 bone-in lamb shoulder (about 2.5 kg / 5 lb); 3 tablespoons olive oil; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme; 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt; 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper; 4 medium potatoes, halved; 2 large kumara (sweet potatoes), cut into chunks; 500 g pumpkin, cut into wedges; 2 large onions, quartered; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon sea salt; Fresh thyme sprigs; 2 cups hot beef or vegetable stock; 2 bay leaves; 1 large piece banana leaf or parchment (optional, for wrapping)

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Inspired by the traditional Maori earth-oven cooking method, this Hangi-style slow-roasted lamb uses low, gentle heat to produce fall-apart tender meat infused with smoky, earthy flavors. A bone-in lamb shoulder rests atop a bed of potatoes, kumara, and pumpkin, steaming together in their own juices for hours.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time240 mins

Total Time270 mins

Servings6

Yield6 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

620 kcalCalories
32 gFat
12 gSaturated Fat
38 gCarbs
6 gFiber
9 gSugar
45 gProtein
520 mgSodium
1180 mgPotassium
95 mgCalcium
5.5 mgIron
28 mgVitamin C
380 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Lamb

1 bone-in lamb shoulder (about 2.5 kg / 5 lb)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

For the Vegetable Bed

4 medium potatoes, halved
2 large kumara (sweet potatoes), cut into chunks
500 g pumpkin, cut into wedges
2 large onions, quartered
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh thyme sprigs

For the Steam Base

2 cups hot beef or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 large piece banana leaf or parchment (optional, for wrapping)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Pat the lamb shoulder dry and rub all over with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Toss the potatoes, kumara, pumpkin, onions, and smashed garlic with olive oil, salt, and thyme sprigs. Spread them evenly in a large deep roasting pan and pour in the hot stock with bay leaves.
Place the seasoned lamb shoulder skin-side up on top of the vegetable bed. If using banana leaf, drape it loosely over the lamb to mimic the traditional covered hangi environment and trap steam.
Cover the roasting pan tightly with a lid or two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, sealing the edges well. Transfer to the oven and slow-roast for 4 hours without opening the lid.
After 4 hours, the lamb should be deeply browned and tender enough to pull apart with a fork (internal temperature around 90°C/195°F). Carefully remove the foil and increase oven temperature to 220°C (425°F). Roast uncovered for 10-15 minutes to crisp the surface.
Lift the lamb onto a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes while the vegetables finish caramelizing in the pan juices.
Stir the roasted vegetables gently to coat them in the rich lamb drippings. Carve or shred the lamb into large chunks and serve piled high on the warm vegetables, spooning the pan juices over the top.

Cook’s Notes

For a more authentic smoky hangi flavor, add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke or a small handful of wood chips wrapped in foil to the stock base.
If using banana leaves, briefly pass them over an open flame or hot pan to soften before draping over the lamb; this releases their aromatic oils.
A Dutch oven works beautifully as a substitute for a roasting pan and creates an even more concentrated steamy environment.
True hangi is cooked underground for several hours on hot stones, so the longer and slower you can roast, the more tender and infused the result.
Save the rich pan juices and any leftover bones to make a hearty lamb stock the next day.