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Combine all the ingredients from the green onions through to the butter (everything but the dried lemon and the lamb) in a food processor or blender, and process until well blended and has turned into a thick paste consistency. If you need to, add a splash of water if the sauce is so thick it won't combine well.
Pour this green sauce over the lamb shanks and toss to coat thoroughly, then cover tightly by placing a sheet of parchment paper on top of the lamb, then sealing with foil and marinade for as much time as you have- anywhere from 4 hours to overnight.
When it's time to cook the lamb, preheat the oven to 465 F (240C). Place the foil covered pan in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, reduce the temperature to 350 F (180C) and cook for another 2 hours. Halfway through, toss the lamb, flipping the pieces over. When 30 minutes of cooking time remain, uncover the dish so that the outside of the lamb crisps up a little.
Serve with rice of choice, preferably topped with toasted nuts and garnished with chopped cilantro (coriander)
TIPS for the best possible hawaij
Using a spice mix with the six spices listed above will go a long way to maximising the flavour of your lamb haneeth.
But you’re looking to make the most of your spices, there’s more you can do:
Fresh is best. Make your own hawaij.
Start with whole spices wherever possible. They don’t lose their taste as rapidly as pre-ground spices.
Toast the whole spices briefly in a dry pan for a few minutes before you grind them.
Roasting your lamb
Lamb haneeth is typically made with bone-in cuts from tougher parts of the animal. Leg, shoulder and neck are the most commonly used.
These cuts contain large amounts of connective tissue, which is tough and chewy. But if they’re cooked the right way, the tough collagen breaks down into silky smooth gelatin, creating a rich, fall-apart tender meat.
And the way to make this happen for your haneeth is by cooking your lamb low and slow.
Slow-roasted lamb haneeth
The recipes that cook their haneeth in the oven typically use a two stage approach:
Cook the lamb in a very hot oven (450-500°F/230-260°C) for 45 minutes to an hour.
Lower the temperature to 350-375°F (180-200°C) for another one to two hours.
The first phase helps give the meat a good browning. This could also be done in a frying pan on the stove.
The second phase allows time for the collagen to breakdown without overcooking the meat.
And as you can see, the total cooking time is generally two hours or more.
I’ve written a lot more about braising tough cuts of meat in my lamb shank review.
Cooking tough cuts of meat takes time
One or two recipes attempt to cook their lamb in the oven in and hour-and-a-half or less by using a higher temperature. Others use a pressure cooker to accelerate the process.
And while these approaches may speed up the conversion of collagen to gelatin, it comes at a cost.
The higher temperature causes the muscle fibres to contract more. Which means they squeeze out more of their moisture. And as a result, under the silky layer of gelatin, the meat is likely to be tough and dry.
Closeup of a golden brown Yemeni haneeth lamb shanks on a bed of basmati rice.
Making the best lamb haneeth
There are two keys to making a great lamb haneeth:
Don’t cut corners on your spices. Use a hawaij spice mix of turmeric, cumin, black pepper, cardamom, coriander and cloves. For best results, make it yourself from roasted whole spices.
Take your time. Give your lamb plenty of time to cook to maximise the amazing silky juiciness of gelatin in the meat. And keep the oven temperature down, at least for the bulk of the cooking time. This will help keep it even more juicy.
Bonus flavour tip: Throw a couple of dried lemons or limes in the roasting pan with the lamb. They’ll bring a citrus brightness that will elevate the hawaij spices and the rich lamb. They might be hard to find, but worth the effort for an even better haneeth.