Preheat oven to 350 F ( Plan on full 4 1/2 hours baking time, but check at 3 ½ hours)

Place marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a paste, scraping down sides to incorporate well.

Place onion slices in the bottom of  a dutch oven or cast iron skillet to create a base for the lamb.

Pat the lamb dry and coat all sides really really well with the paste, including the inside where the bone was removed. Roll it back up and place it on the bed of slice onion, seam side down, fatty side up. Let this marinate on the counter until the oven is hot, or up to 2 hours. You could also wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours.

Pour 1 cup water into the dutch oven or skillet  ( to the side of the lamb) and cover with a heavy lid or  foil and place in the oven for 2 ½  hours. Uncover the roast to let the top get golden, and continue cooking 1 hour. Check the roast. If the pan seems dry, add a another ½ cup water.   If the crust seems like its getting too dark, cover lightly with foil. Continue cooking until the lamb pulls apart easily with tongs or two forks. Possibly another hour. If it’s still feeling tough, continue cooking until it is tender, checking every 30 minutes, making sure to top is not burning or that is out of liquid in the bottom.

Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Serve with your choice of: Basmati Rice ( the middle eastern version), Pita bread, simple roasted veggies, labneh, tahini sauce, zhoug yogurt, tomatoes and/ or cucumbers.