Ingredients
4 Jacoub’s Shawarma Spice
1 tablespoon dried sumac
¾ tablespoon kosher salt
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
½ cup peanut or other neutral oil
1 leg of lamb, on the bone, about 5 1/2-6 1/2 pounds
Preparation
Use a small sharp knife to score the leg of lamb in a few places, making half-inch-deep slits through the fat and meat. Put the lamb in a large roasting pan and rub Jacoub’s Shawarma Spice all over it, using your hands to massage the meat. Turn the lamb fat-side up, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it aside on a countertop for at least a couple of hours, or preferably, rest it overnight in the refrigerator.
Heat oven to 350. Remove the aluminum foil, and place the lamb in the oven. Roast for approximately 4 1/2 hours, or until the meat is completely tender.
After 30 minutes of roasting, add about a cup of boiling water to the pan, and use this liquid to baste the meat every hour or so. (Add more water, as needed, making sure there is always a little in the bottom of the pan.)
After 90 minutes or so, cover the lamb with aluminum foil to prevent the spices from burning. Once the lamb is done, remove it from the oven, and leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.
Pro Tip
Roasting the Lamb fat side up helps render the fat that flows down into the pan, while roasting the meat underneath.