Pulled Lamb Pita Pockets
Serves: 4
Time: 6 hours
I really like a good hit of saltiness in food but that doesn’t technically mean that it has to come from salt. Tonight it’s in the form of feta two ways, I have put it through the yoghurt which you know I love with lamb and then we are also crumbling it over the top for some added punch in flavour at the end. Pair that with the slightly sweet crust you get on the lamb from the sumac and this dish is sure to have your taste buds singing. If you have never used sumac before you will find it in the spice section at the supermarket it's a vibrant red colour which comes from the sumac berry and works fabulously on meat for a little mystery wow factor.
Leftovers
You will have plenty of meat leftover when only cooking for two, I like the Nana brand pitas which come in packs of five but that’s not great for leftovers so lunch is more of a salad with a side of bread.
What you'll need
1.4kg boneless lamb shoulder
4 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of sumac
1 large beetroot
1 small packet of baby rocket
200g danish feta
1 cup of greek yoghurt
1 packet of small wholemeal pita pockets
From the Pantry
1 cup of red wine
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
salt and pepper
Optional Lunch Xtra’s
Xtra Pita Pockets
Feeding Four
I have added xtra pita pockets and rocket to your shopping list.
Prep
Preheat Oven to 180
Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves and mix in a small bowl with the sumac.
Remove lamb from packaging and cut off any string or netting that’s holding the lamb in a rolled shape.
Lay the lamb out flat and season well on both sides with salt and pepper.
Cooking Times Vary
You are probably sick of hearing me say this, but cooking times won't always be exact there are too many factors that can influence the cooking time. Nice cuts of meat with a good amount of fat will mostly be soft and ready to go after 4 hours. But there are always the exceptions. You will know as soon as you stick your fork into the meat if it pulls apart effortlessly perfect crank that oven up and get the top crispy. But if your forks cant pull that meat at all you need to cover the meat back up and keep cooking slowly for at the least another hour. And if your part way there then use some muscle and rip the meat down as much as possible so that more of it is in the juices, cover it back up and keep cooking slow but check every 20 mins or so, when its almost there it will finish off pretty quickly.
Rub the garlic and sumac into both sides but give the fat side the bulk of the mix.
Place the lamb in a baking tray with high sides, (you want the sides to be at least 3 fingers high), and place the lamb in the tray with the fat side facing up.
Add the red wine and cover with foil and pop into the oven to cook for half an hour. After half an hour turn the temperature down to 150c and cook for 4 hours.
After 4 hours use a pair of forks to gently rip the meat apart. If your meat is melting soft move onto the next step. If not cover with foil again and cook until soft *.
If your meat is lovely and soft then turn your oven up to 200c and blast for 30 minutes to get a nice crust going on the top.
Prep Fillings
Peel the beetroot and slice into nice thin matchsticks (alternately you could grate). Place in a bowl and run cold water over till the water runs clear. Strain and toss in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
In a food processor combine the yoghurt and 2/3’s of the feta and a pinch of cracked pepper, blitz until smooth.
Crumble remaining feta.
Toast Pita Breads
Heat a large frypan with a dash of oil. Toast each pita on one side only for about 1 minute, just long enough to get a little bit golden.
Plate it Pretty
This is a finger dinner so you will be eating with your hands, but I like the way they look when displayed on boards and these would be perfect for casual outdoor entertaining.
Drain the beetroot.
On the toasted side of the pita bread spread the base with some of the yoghurt, cover half the yoghurt with rocket and the other side with some beetroot. Top with loads of the pulled lamb and sprinkle with the crumbled feta.
A few bits of rocket scattered across the board can provide some extra garnish.
Enjoy!
Lunch tomorrow
If you are a lover of cold roasted meat then pack your leftovers all together, I’m pretty keen on cold roast lamb, but make lunch even better and pack the lamb separate so you can give it a real quick blast in the microwave and this will melt down all the solid fat.