Hogget Recipes, Lamb Recipes, Recipes

Slow-smoked hogget shoulder w/ grilled onions, turnips & tahini dressing

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A hogget shoulder, smoked until tender and falling apart, in a vaguely Middle Eastern style. A boned and rolled shoulder of hogget (or lamb or mutton if preferred) is an excellent choice for a slow, smoky cook, resulting in soft, flaky meat. With ample inter-muscular fat and tissue to keep the flesh moist and a rich layer of fat for self-basting, it absorbs the sweet, smoky flavour beautifully. In this recipe, utilise the heat from the coals to grill turnips, peppers, and red onions before dressing them with tahini dressing and plenty of soft herbs and sumac. The slight bitterness from the turnips and tahini provides a delicious contrast to the rich, smoky flavour of the fatty hogget.

Serves 4-5 hungry humans

Ingredients

Hogget

Tahini dressing

Shop the ingredients

Directions

First up is marinating the hogget

  1. Toast the coriander seeds and allspice berries in a small frying pan, over a medium heat for 2-minutes, tossing regularly. Remove from the heat and tip into a pestle and mortar.
  2. Coarsely crush the seeds and then add 2-tablespoons of salt and the Aleppo pepper flakes. Mix together with the mortar and then rub all over the hogget shoulder. Leave to sit for at least 3-hours.

Now to cook the hogget

  1. Light your bbq and aim to hold a smoking temperature of around 100-120°C. Place the shoulder on the grill and close the lid. Cook for 5-6 hours. Check the shoulder after 3-hours and if it has formed a good bark and you are concerned about too much colour, then wrap the shoulder in some bbq, or parchment paper for the final few hours.
  2. You are aiming for an internal temperature of at least 88°C. Once this is achieved, then remove the shoulder from the grill and leave to rest somewhere warm, preferably wrapped in paper or foil.
  3. Top up the charcoal and allow them to burn more fiercely. Skewer the turnips, onions and peppers. Season well with salt and rub with a little oil, then lay the skewers on the grill.
  4. Rotate the skewers regularly and cook for 12-15 minutes. Try to maintain a medium heat on the coals, so the turnips, onions and peppers have the chance to cook fully without taking on too much char.
  5. Once cooked, remove the skewers from the heat and slide the turnips, peppers and onions into a large bowl.

Now for the tahini dressing

  1. Put the tahini, garlic, a pinch of salt, 3-tablespoons of water and the juice of 1-unwaxed lemon into a food processor. Blitz on a high speed for a minute or so. Sometimes tahini can thicken quite dramatically, so add more water if required.
  2. Begin adding the olive oil, in a steady stream, about 75-100ml or until the dressing has taken on a good consistency and flavour.
  3. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary, some of the juice from the second lemon may be needed here.
  4. Use the tahini dressing to dress the still warm turnips, peppers and onions. Then add the dill, mint, parsley and 1-teaspoon of sumac. Mix well, check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

To serve

  1. Pull apart the meat and serve on a platter, with the turnips, peppers and onions on another platter and freshly baked flatbreads on the side, any extra tahini dressing can be used to drizzle over the hogget.

For 15 years George worked in some of London’s most loved restaurants, including Padella and Primeur, and had a 5-year stint as Head Chef at the Garden Museum Café. George earned rave reviews for his simple, thoughtful cookery, his dishes were firmly rooted in the classics, and always paid homage to the produce. In 2021 George realised a long-held ambition and released his first cookbook entitled, A Year In The Kitchen. It celebrates the annual cookery cycle, taking readers on a journey through the British seasons, showcasing native produce, and inspiring year round creativity. In 2022 George left London behind, and moved back home to Yorkshire. His passion for seasonal cookery and reverence of quality British ingredients proved that for George, home is where the heart is. Like his food, George is led by the seasons, he’s open to new opportunities, and always following his heart.