Alabama White Sauce Lamb Sliders (Printable Version)
Tender pulled lamb with tangy Alabama white sauce on soft buns, topped with crisp slaw.
# What You Need:
→ Pulled Lamb
01 - 2.5 lbs boneless lamb shoulder
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1 tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tbsp smoked paprika
06 - 2 tsp garlic powder
07 - 1 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 cup chicken or lamb stock
→ Alabama White Sauce
09 - ½ cup mayonnaise
10 - ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - 1 tsp lemon juice
14 - ½ tsp garlic powder
15 - ½ tsp onion powder
16 - ½ tsp black pepper
17 - ½ tsp salt
→ Slaw
18 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
19 - ½ cup shredded carrot
20 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise
21 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
22 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ For Serving
23 - 8 soft slider buns
24 - Pickled red onions (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 300°F.
02 - In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the entire surface of the lamb shoulder.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb shoulder on all sides until deeply browned, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side.
04 - Pour the stock into the pot around the lamb. Cover tightly with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Roast for 3 hours or until the lamb is fork-tender and shreds apart effortlessly.
05 - While the lamb braises, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, prepared horseradish, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt in a mixing bowl until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
06 - Toss shredded green cabbage and carrot with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Refrigerate until assembly.
07 - Remove the lamb from the oven and shred the meat directly in the pot using two forks, mixing it with the accumulated cooking juices. Drizzle generously with Alabama White Sauce and toss to coat evenly.
08 - Layer a generous portion of pulled lamb onto the bottom half of each slider bun. Top with slaw and pickled red onions if desired. Drizzle with additional white sauce, cap with the top bun, and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The Alabama white sauce is a complete game changer, tangy and creamy with a horseradish kick that cuts right through the richness of the lamb.
- Low and slow oven roasting means you get tender, shreddable meat without babysitting a smoker all day.
- These sliders are the kind of food that disappears from a party table before you even sit down.
02 -
- Do not skip the sear, that browned crust is where a huge amount of flavor lives and you cannot get it back later.
- Let the white sauce rest in the fridge for at least thirty minutes before serving because the horseradish and vinegar need time to soften and blend into the mayo.
- Check the lamb at the two and a half hour mark because oven temperatures vary and you want it tender but not dried out.
03 -
- The secret to great Alabama white sauce is balancing the vinegar and the mayo, so taste it and adjust until it makes your mouth water a little.
- If the lamb is not shredding easily after three hours, give it another thirty minutes covered rather than forcing it.