Lamb shoulder is the most forgiving cut you can cook on a barbecue. It’s fatty, it’s full of connective tissue, and it’s almost impossible to dry out if you cook it low and slow. Here’s how I do it on a standard Weber kettle, no fancy smoker required.

The cut

Get a bone-in lamb shoulder from your butcher. About 2-2.5kg is ideal for a kettle barbecue. Don’t bother with boneless — the bone adds flavour and helps the meat cook evenly. Ask the butcher to score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern if they haven’t already.

Australian lamb shoulder is world-class. We grow excellent lamb in this country and the shoulder, despite being one of the cheaper cuts, has more flavour than the leg. Fight me on this.

The rub

Keep it simple. Mix together:

• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Half teaspoon cayenne (optional, but I always add it)

Rub this all over the shoulder, getting into the score marks. If you can do this the night before and leave the shoulder uncovered in the fridge, even better. The salt will start to penetrate the meat and the surface will dry out, which gives you a better bark.

Setting up the barbecue

The key to low and slow on a kettle barbecue is indirect heat. Here’s the setup:

Light a chimney of charcoal — about half full. When the coals are grey and glowing, pour them onto one side of the charcoal grate. Put a drip pan (disposable foil tray works) on the other side. Add a couple of chunks of smoking wood to the coals — I use ironbark or red gum, both native Australian hardwoods that are perfect for lamb.

Put the cooking grate on. The lamb goes on the side above the drip pan, not over the coals. Close the lid with the vent positioned over the meat (this draws smoke across it).

Target temperature: 120-135 degrees Celsius inside the barbecue. Use the lid thermometer or, better, a probe thermometer placed at grate level.

Managing the cook

This is where patience matters. A 2kg shoulder will take 5-6 hours at this temperature. Maybe 7 if it’s a stubborn one.

Every hour, check your temperature and add a few coals if needed. Don’t keep opening the lid to look at it — every time you lift that lid, you lose heat and add time. Trust the process.

At the 3-hour mark, check the colour. The outside should be developing a dark, caramelised bark. If it’s getting too dark, wrap it loosely in foil for the remainder of the cook. If the colour is good, leave it unwrapped for maximum bark.

The stall

Somewhere around 70-75 degrees internal temperature, the meat will seem to stop cooking. The temperature will plateau or even drop slightly. This is called the stall, and it happens because moisture evaporating from the surface cools the meat.

Don’t panic. Don’t crank the heat. Just wait. It’ll push through. If you’re impatient (no judgment), wrapping in foil speeds things up by stopping the evaporative cooling.

Knowing when it’s done

Internal temperature should reach 93-96 degrees Celsius. But temperature alone isn’t enough. The real test: push a probe or skewer into the thickest part of the meat. It should slide in with almost no resistance, like pushing into warm butter.

If it still feels tight at 93C, keep cooking. Connective tissue hasn’t fully broken down yet.

The rest

This is not optional. Pull the shoulder off the barbecue, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. An hour is better. The internal temperature will continue to rise slightly, and the juices will redistribute.

After resting, pull the meat apart with forks or your hands (if you can handle the heat). It should fall apart with minimal effort. If you have to cut it, it needed more time.

Serving

I serve pulled lamb shoulder simply:

• Warm flatbreads or pita
• A big bowl of yoghurt mixed with crushed garlic and a pinch of salt
• Quick-pickled red onion (slice thin, cover with red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar, leave 20 minutes)
• Fresh herbs: mint, parsley, coriander — whatever you’ve got
• Hot sauce (my fermented chilli sauce goes perfectly here)

Let people build their own wraps. It’s interactive, it’s generous, and it feeds a crowd from a single, relatively cheap cut of meat.

One last thing

Low and slow barbecue isn’t about precision. It’s about patience and paying attention. Every shoulder is different, every barbecue runs a little differently, and the weather matters. Don’t stress about hitting exact temperatures or times. Cook it until it’s done, rest it properly, and it’ll be the best lamb you’ve ever eaten.