Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with cannellini beans and hummus

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until they are starting to soften.
2. Remove any excess fat from the lamb. Increase the heat to high, push the onions and garlic to one side, add the lamb and cook it for about 10 minutes, turning the meat to brown it on all sides. Add 125 ml of the red wine, the tomato and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and bring to the boil.
3. Transfer the dish to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Add the remaining 125 ml of wine and cook for a further hour.
4. Add the cannellini beans to the lamb and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the meat is very tender. (If you are not using the beans, continue to cook the lamb for 30 minutes.)
5. If you are making the hummus, prepare it at this point. Cook your choice of green vegetable. Cut the breads in half (if using), place them in a stack on a large piece of foil, wrap them up, then warm them in the oven for 5 minutes.
6. With the lamb still in the dish, using two large forks, shred the lamb into smaller pieces and stir it into the sauce. Scatter over the mint leaves (if using) and accompany with the bread and hummus (if using) and the green vegetables.