Indian-Spiced Oven-Cooked Pulled Lamb Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more to taste
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Large pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons good quality liquid smoke, such as Wright's or Colgin, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium store-bought broth
• For the slaw:
• 8 ounces shredded green cabbage
• 1 medium carrot, grated on a box grater
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon caraways seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seeds or dry mustard powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 potato buns

Directions

1. Move the oven rack to the lower position, then heat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar with the salt, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, ground ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne. If the lamb is trussed, cut away the twine and open the meat out on your work surface. Coat the lamb thoroughly with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the spice blend, rubbing it over every surface, and set the rest of the blend aside. Tie the lamb shoulder with butcher’s twine so it forms a neat, even cylinder. In a medium bowl, whisk the ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire, Dijon, molasses, cider vinegar, liquid smoke, hot sauce, and fish sauce until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining spice blend and stir it in, then taste and add salt if it needs it. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Put in the lamb and brown it well, turning it now and then, about 5 minutes total. The sugar will make the outside color quickly, so watch that it does not scorch. Add the onion and cook, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the pot, until the onion has softened, about 2 minutes.
2. Pour half of the sauce mixture and the chicken stock into the Dutch oven, stirring them together, and save the rest of the sauce for later. Cover the pot, move it to the oven, and cook until the lamb is beginning to soften, about 2 hours. Take off the lid and keep cooking until a knife or fork twists into the meat with very little resistance and the outside has developed a dark bark, about 1 hour longer. If the pot looks dry at any point during that last hour, add a small splash of water.
3. While the lamb cooks, make the slaw. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrot, parsley, cider vinegar, mayonnaise, caraway, and mustard seeds until everything is evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Lift the lamb into a large bowl, leaving the cooking liquid in the pot. Skim the extra fat from the liquid with a ladle and discard it. Add the reserved sauce to the pot and whisk until combined. Once the lamb is cool enough to work with, pull it apart using 2 forks.
5. Spoon sauce over the shredded lamb and toss until the meat is well coated; you may not need every bit of sauce. Adjust the seasoning with more salt, sugar, liquid smoke, or cider vinegar, as you like.
6. Heap the pulled lamb onto the bottom half of each bun. If extra sauce remains, spoon a little over the lamb, and if there is spice rub left, add a light sprinkle. Finish with slaw, set the tops of the buns in place, and serve.