Méchoui (Mauritanian Slow-Roast Lamb)
Local name: المشوي
In short: Lamb shoulder rubbed with garlic, cumin and pepper, then slow-roasted until it falls off the bone, a home version of Mauritania's roast lamb. It takes about 3 h 50 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 h 30 min
- Resting
- 8 h 20 min
- Total
- 3 h 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 385 kcal
Méchoui is whole lamb roasted until it is meltingly tender, and it is the centerpiece of weddings and Eid feasts across Mauritania. At celebrations the whole animal is roasted over coals or in an earth oven. This home version uses a bone-in shoulder, rubbed with garlic, cumin and pepper and cooked slowly in the oven. The meat is pulled apart at the table and eaten with rice, couscous or flatbread.
Instructions
- Mix the garlic, oil, salt, pepper, cumin and lemon juice into a paste. Make deep cuts across the lamb and rub the paste all over and into the cuts.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. Take the lamb out 1 hour before cooking.
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Put the lamb in a roasting pan, pour the water around it and cover tightly with foil.
- Roast for 3 hours. The meat is ready when it pulls away easily from the bone and reaches about 90°C (195°F) inside.
- Raise the oven to 220°C (425°F). Remove the foil, baste with the pan juices and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply browned.
- Rest the lamb for 20 minutes under foil. Pull the meat apart in large pieces and spoon over the pan juices before serving.
Tips
- Slow roasting breaks down the tough connective tissue. For safety, lamb only needs 63°C (145°F), but pulling tender needs 90°C.
- A pan of rice or couscous served on the side soaks up the roasting juices. Add a little water to the pan if the juices dry out.
Questions and answers
Can I make méchoui with lamb leg instead of shoulder?
Yes, but it is leaner and dries out more easily. Use a 2 kg bone-in leg and cook it for about 2 1/2 hours.
What do you serve with méchoui?
Rice, couscous or flatbread, with a simple tomato and onion salad. Mauritanians also serve mint tea afterward.
Can I cook méchoui on a grill?
Yes, in a covered grill with indirect heat at 160°C (325°F). Keep a pan of water under the meat and allow about 4 hours.
How long does it take to make Méchoui (Mauritanian Slow-Roast Lamb)?
About 3 h 50 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 3 h 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Méchoui (Mauritanian Slow-Roast Lamb)?
About 385 kcal per serving, with 33 g of protein, 2 g of carbohydrates and 27 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 385 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 33 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Sodium | 850 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
