Fire-pit lamb shoulder shepherd’s pie with cheddar mash peaks

The cook

1. 01

   Step 1GET THE FIRE SORTED

   Light lumpwood charcoal in your kamado and establish a medium-hot direct cooking area. Have the heat deflector ready for the braise. You’ll need a wide, covered Dutch oven of roughly 8 litres that fits both the shoulder and your barbecue with its lid shut. Check the fit before lighting anything. Allow around 5–6 hours of cooking time, plus prep and resting.

2. 02

   Step 2BROWN THE SHOULDER

   Pat the lamb dry, rub with half the oil and season generously with salt. Grill directly over the charcoal for 12–15 minutes, turning to brown the broad sides and edges. You want deep colour, not a black crust. Move it away from any flare-ups caused by dripping fat, then lift onto a tray.

3. 03

   Step 3BUILD THE BRAISE

   Set the Dutch oven over moderate direct heat. Add the remaining oil, onions, carrots and swede, then cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring until the edges colour. Add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up the browned bits. Add the rosemary, bay and lamb, including its tray juices. The liquid should reach roughly halfway up the meat; add hot water if needed.

4. 04

   Step 4GO LOW AND SLOW

   Wearing heatproof gloves, fit the heat deflector and settle the kamado at 160°C for indirect cooking. Cover the Dutch oven, place it on the cooking grate and close the barbecue lid. Braise for 4–5 hours, turning the shoulder halfway through and checking the liquid every 90 minutes. Keep it around one-third to halfway up the meat with hot water. Start checking tenderness at 4 hours: aim for roughly 93–96°C in the thickest meat, away from bone, but trust the probe sliding in with almost no resistance. If it fights back, keep cooking.

5. 05

   Step 5MAKE PROPER MASH

   During the final 45 minutes of the braise, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold salted water and bring to the boil on the hob. Simmer for 20–25 minutes until completely tender. Drain thoroughly, then let them steam-dry for 5 minutes. Mash with the butter, mustard and 175 g cheddar. Add warm milk gradually until creamy but firm enough to hold a peak. Season with salt and pepper. Loose mash sinks; this needs backbone.

6. 06

   Step 6REST THE LAMB

   Lift the tender shoulder onto a deep tray, spoon over a little braising liquid and cover loosely. Rest for 20 minutes before shredding. Remove the rosemary stalks and bay leaves from the pot, then skim off excess surface fat. Open the kamado vents gradually to bring it towards 220°C, keeping the heat deflector in place.

7. 07

   Step 7GET THE GRAVY RIGHT

   With the Dutch oven uncovered and the barbecue lid closed, simmer the braising liquid and vegetables for 15–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy. If it is still thin, stir in the optional cornflour slurry and simmer for another 2–3 minutes. Shred the rested lamb into chunky strands, discarding the bone and any tough fat or gristle. Return the meat and resting juices to the pot. Season to taste. The filling should be juicy but hold together on a spoon, not swim.

8. 08

   Step 8BUILD THE MOUNTAIN

   Level the hot lamb filling in the Dutch oven. Spoon the warm mash around the edges first, then fill the middle, sealing the filling underneath. Use a fork to drag up plenty of tall, rough peaks and ridges. Scatter over the reserved 75 g cheddar. Leave a little clearance below the rim so bubbling gravy stays in the pot.

9. 09

   Step 9BRONZE THOSE PEAKS

   Bake with the Dutch oven uncovered, the kamado lid closed and the temperature steady at 220°C for 25–35 minutes. Keep the pot over the heat deflector so the filling doesn’t scorch. Rotate once if one side colours faster. It’s ready when the gravy bubbles at the edges, the centre is piping hot and the cheddar peaks are deeply golden. No need to put the mash over direct flames.

10. 10

    Step 10GIVE IT A MINUTE

    Lift the Dutch oven onto a heatproof surface and rest the finished pie for 10 minutes before serving. That lets the gravy settle and saves the first spoonful becoming a landslide. Scoop right down to the bottom so everyone gets smoky lamb, rich gravy and a proper share of those crunchy cheddar tips.