Lamb Shawarma

It doesn't get much better than lamb shawarma. While this isn't quite as good as spit roasted lamb, the marinade is fantastic. The original calls for a leg of lamb, but I tried this with a lamb shank to make the amount of lamb a little more reasonable and it worked. If you go the smaller route, you can cut the cooking time down by an hour or more.

One year ago: Goat Cheese and Roasted Garlic Beehive
Two years ago: Texas Red Chili
Three years ago: Walnut Pesto

Lamb Shawarma (from Jerusalem)
Ingredients
2 tsp black peppercorns
5 whole cloves
1/2 tsp cardamom pods
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 star anise
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 whole nutmeg, grated
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp sumac
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
25g fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
40g chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 bone-in leg of lamb, 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 lb
1 cup boiling water

1. Put first 8 ingredient in cast iron pan and dry roast over medium-high heat for a minute or two until fragrant. Add nutmeg, ginger, and paprika and toss to warm.
2. Grind spices in a spice grinder and transfer to bowl. Stir in all remaining ingredients, except lamb and water.
3. Score leg of lamb. Place in a roasting pan and rub marinade on lamb. Cover with foil and leave aside for a few hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 325F.
5. Put lamb in oven with fatty side facing up and roast for a total of 4 1/2 hours. After 30 minutes of roasting, add boiling water, basting lamb every hour or so. After 1 1/2 hours, cover with foil.
6. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.