Equipment
Ingredients
Lamb and Marinade
- 800 g lamb neck fillet, trimmed of heavy surface sinew
- 60 ml olive oil
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 4 garlic, minced
- 4 g ground cumin
- 4 g ground coriander
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 2 g dried oregano
- 10 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Vegetables
- 600 g waxy potatoes, cut into thick wedges
- 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into large chunks
- 2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, whole
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 43 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1638 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 21 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 142 mg
- Potassium
- 1762 mg
- Calcium
- 125 mg
- Iron
- 5.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 108 mg
- Phosphorus
- 506 mg
- Zinc
- 8.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 147 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 143 mg
- Vitamin E
- 5.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 5.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.37 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.43 mg
- Niacin
- 11.2 mg
- Folate
- 72 mcg
- Water
- 397 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk to form a thick marinade.
Coat the lamb neck fillets thoroughly with the spice marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or ideally overnight, to tenderize the meat and develop flavor.
Preheat your oven to 160°C or 320°F.
Place the potato wedges, bell pepper chunks, and red onion wedges into the large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, tossing well to coat. Lay the marinated lamb neck fillets directly on top of the vegetables.
Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. This slow covered roasting allows the tough connective tissues in the lamb neck to break down, well past the safe 74°C/165°F minimum internal temperature.
Remove the foil from the pan and scatter the cherry tomatoes around the lamb. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C or 400°F and roast uncovered for an additional 20 minutes until the lamb is browned and the tomatoes begin to blister and burst.
Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Leave the vegetables in the pan to absorb the pan juices.
Slice the lamb neck fillets thinly against the grain. Serve the slices arranged over the roasted vegetables with the pan juices spooned over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Scoring the surface of the lamb neck slightly allows the acidic lemon marinade to penetrate deeper, tenderizing the meat from the inside out before the cooking even begins.
- Do not add the cherry tomatoes at the beginning of the roasting process. The prolonged 90-minute braise will cause them to completely disintegrate into a watery sauce, rather than retaining their bright, burst texture.
- If the roasting pan looks too dry when you remove the foil for the final uncovered roast, add 60ml of water or lamb stock to the bottom of the pan to prevent the spices and vegetable sugars from scorching.
- Always slice lamb neck fillet across the grain. Look for the lines of muscle fiber running through the meat and make your knife cuts perpendicular to them for the best eating experience.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store leftover lamb and vegetables in an airtight container. The flavors will continue to develop.
Freezer: 1 month — Lamb freezes well, but the roasted potatoes and tomatoes may become slightly mushy upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat covered in a 160°C oven until thoroughly warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Lamb is tough and chewy after roasting
Cause: The lamb was not cooked long enough for the collagen to break down, or it was roasted at too high a temperature without cover.
Fix: Return the lamb to the roasting pan, add a splash of water, cover tightly with foil again, and roast at 160°C for another 30-45 minutes.
Prevention: Ensure the first phase of cooking is done tightly covered at a low temperature to trap steam and gently braise the meat.
Vegetables are burnt before the lamb is tender
Cause: Oven temperature was too high, or the pan was not sealed tightly enough with foil, causing moisture to escape.
Fix: Remove the burnt vegetables. Add a splash of stock or water to the pan, reseal with fresh foil, and continue cooking the lamb until tender.
Prevention: Double wrap the foil around the edges of the pan to create a proper steam environment.
Cultural Context
Rooted in Levantine and Mediterranean culinary traditions, this dish utilizes a slow-roasting technique to transform hardworking, inexpensive cuts of meat like the neck into meltingly tender centerpieces. The generous use of warm spices such as cumin and coriander, paired with bright citrus, reflects historical trade routes that introduced aromatic spices to the Mediterranean basin.
