Entertain your guests with juicy and delicious Pulled Lamb Burgers!

These pulled lamb burgers are sure to be a hit at your next gathering! In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make an epic roast lamb with a simple baking dish, then transform it into a delicious burger. These burgers are great for parties as they can be made in advance, and are an easy way to feed a crowd.

The Le Creuset Dish

For this recipe, we used the Le Creuset Stoneware Heritage Deep Square Dish.

You would think that to make a really good roast, you’ll need a really good roasting pan, but this is not the case at all – not for pulled lamb anyway. This dish was the perfect size for a lamb roast, comfortably fitting a number of different cuts that we tried when developing this recipe. It is also deeper than your average square baking tin, making it great for adding extra veggies and liquid.

The dish features grooved handles which makes it easy to transport in and out of the oven.

It was also very easy to clean. As with any roast, expect a decent amount of splatter everywhere. But with a bit of soaking in hot water, followed by a slight scrub with a sponge and detergent, this dish was completely clean again.

While we used the dish for baking, it is beautiful enough to use as serveware as well. If you’d rather have your guests assemble their own burgers, then this dish is a great option to serve the pulled lamb with gravy.

Best Cut of Lamb For Pulled Lamb Burgers

The best cut is a boneless lamb shoulder, because it lays flat and stays moist.

Any other cut of lamb will work as well. A leg roast would be your driest option, but the meat will eventually be mixed with gravy for this recipe so dryness won’t be a big issue.

Roasting the Lamb

Ingredients

What you will need to roast the lamb:

Cooking Method

No special techniques here! To roast the lamb:

1. Grab a baking dish.
2. Lay some onions and garlic at the bottom of the dish. This will act as a buffer between the lamb and the dish.
3. Place the lamb on top, then season.
4. Pour in the stock.
5. Loosely cover with two sheets of aluminium foil. Don’t make it airtight as you need to allow the steam to escape.
6. Roast for 4 hours covered at 170C. For a shoulder roast stop here, for a leg roast remove the foil and roast for another half an hour uncovered. Yes, we know this is a very long cooking time, but trust us, you will have beautifully tender, pull apart lamb by the end – it will be worth it!
7. Set aside to cool.

Making the Gravy

To make the gravy:

1. Strain the lamb roasting juices into a saucepan. Heat on medium low.
2. Skim off some of the fat. Don’t worry about trying to get it all of off – the fat adds a lot of flavour so it's totally fine to keep some of it.
3. Add vegetable stock powder and season to taste.
4. Thicken the gravy with cornstarch and water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Making the Pulled Lamb With Gravy

Shred the lamb once it is cool enough to touch. Put it in a large saucepan and add enough gravy to pull the lamb together in a thick clump. Avoid adding too much gravy as it will soften the burger buns too quickly.

Put the saucepan on the stovetop over low heat to keep it hot before serving.

How to Serve

We loved these burgers with brioche buns and gherkins. We toasted the brioche buns for extra crunch, and also so they could hold up against the gravy better. Brioche buns are a great option for entertaining as they are just the right size to give your guests a substantial bite, but without being overly filling either. The pickles work well as they cut through the lamb’s fat and saltiness while adding some great crunch.

Other bread options for the burgers include normal burger buns, slider buns or ciabatta rolls. And if you’re not keen on a burger, you can also serve the pulled lamb in a burrito, subway sandwich or a regular sandwich.

While we like to keep these burgers very simple just by adding gherkins, you can add whatever you like. Some other ideas are:

• Fresh tomato slices
• BBQ sauce
• Coleslaw
• Tzatziki, a creamy Greek yoghurt sauce
• Mint sauce
• Beetroot
• Caramelised onions

Making it in Advance

These burgers can be prepared in advance! While you should save assembling them until right before serving, you can roast the lamb, shred it and combine it with the gravy ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, and reheat over the stovetop.

Pulled Lamb Sliders with Gravy Recipe

Prep time: 15 mins  |  Cooking time: 4 hrs 15 mins – 4 hrs 45 mins

Total time: 4.5 hrs – 5.5 hrs

Serves: 5 people

Ingredients

• 1.3 – 1.5 kg lamb shoulder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1 onion sliced into rings
• 500 ml beef stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and flattened
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Gravy

• Lamb juices / stock
• 1/4 tsp of vegetable stock powder
• 3 tbsp of corn starch
• 3 tbsp of cold water
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

To Serve

• Brioche buns or your choice of bread
• Gherkins, sliced

Method

Roasting the Lamb

1. Prep your ingredients.
2. Pre heat the oven to 170 C.
3. Lay the onions and garlic on the bottom of a baking dish.
4. Place the lamb on top and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Rub in.
6. Add the stock and cover the lamb with aluminium foil.
7. Put into the oven and roast, covered for 4 hours.
8. After 4 hours, take the aluminium foil off and roast for a further 30 minutes.

Making the Gravy

1. Take the roasting juices from the pan and strain into a saucepan. Heat the stock until a light boil.
2. Mix the cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl until completely dissolved, then add it gradually until the gravy has reached your desired consistency.
3. Add vegetable stock powder and season to your taste.

Putting it Together

1. Shred the lamb.
2. Put the lamb in a saucepan on medium low.
3. Gradually add the gravy until it thickly binds the lamb together.
4. Put the saucepan on low heat to keep the lamb warm.
5. Halve the buns then toast in the oven.
6. Lay the sliced gherkins on the bun base.
7. Top with the lamb.
8. Serve with extra gravy and sliced pickles on the side.

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