Levantine cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Kharouf Mahshi

Lamb shoulder cooked for hours in the oven over a filling of rice, ground meat and toasted pine nuts.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 1.8 kg lamb shoulder (bone-in)
• 400 g long-grain rice
• 300 g ground lamb
• 2 onions
• 150 g pine nuts
• 80 g raisins
• 2 tsp baharat (seven-spice blend)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 80 g butter
• 250 g yogurt
• 800 ml meat stock
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the rice in warm water for 30 min. and drain; pat the lamb shoulder dry, rub all over with 1 tsp baharat, salt and pepper and let stand at room temperature for 30 min.
2. For the filling, sauté the finely diced onions in 40 g butter for 8 min. until soft, add the ground lamb and fry for 8 min. until crumbly, then season with the remaining baharat and the cinnamon.
3. Toast the pine nuts in the rest of the butter for 3 min. until golden, mix with the raisins and the drained rice into the meat mixture and pour in 600 ml stock; let swell covered for 12 min. – the rice should still be slightly firm.
4. Transfer the filling to a deep roasting pan, set the lamb shoulder on top, pour in the remaining stock, seal tightly with parchment paper and foil, and cook in the oven at 160 °C top/bottom heat for 3 hrs.
5. Remove the foil, baste the shoulder with the pan juices and roast at 220 °C for another 20–25 min. until the surface is deep brown and glossy and the meat pulls away from the bone.
6. Let the lamb rest for 15 min., carve at the table on its bed of rice and serve with the yogurt on the side.