Easter Lamb on the Spit
Pascalino arni sti souvla
Ingredients
Instructions
- On Easter Sunday morning, commence kindling the fire around 7:00 AM, allowing ample time for the wood to reduce to a bed of glowing embers, perfectly prepared for the start of roasting.
- Once thoroughly cleaned, the lamb or goat is generously rubbed with fresh lemon all over its skin, then seasoned both externally and internally with a generous blend of salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme.
- Next, the souvla – the traditional long, round iron spit – having also been meticulously cleaned and rubbed with lemon, is carefully passed through the length of the animal, entering from one end and exiting cleanly through the head.
- Secure the hind legs by passing one through the muscle of the other, then binding them firmly with wire.
- It is also advisable to secure the lamb's spine to the spit with wire, ensuring stability during roasting.
- Insert two sturdy iron poles with forked ends into the earth adjacent to the fire.
- At the outset of the roasting session, position the lamb approximately 60-70 cm from the flames.
- As roasting progresses, gradually lower the poles until the meat rests at a distance of 30-40 cm from the heat source.
- The long iron spit culminates in a sturdy handle, allowing family members to take turns diligently turning it almost continually. While modern rotisserie motors can automate this task, the traditional method often involves a cherished communal effort.
- Throughout the cooking process, frequently baste the meat with a fragrant mixture of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and oregano.
- A lamb roasted in this manner typically requires approximately four hours or less to cook, assuming a desirable maximum weight of 5 kilograms.
- It is paramount that the lamb cooks very slowly, even if this extends the cooking time beyond three hours.
- A clear indication of nearing doneness is when the succulent flesh begins to shrink away from the bones.
- To ensure even cooking, note that the thicker, more muscular parts of the lamb, such as the legs and shoulders, require additional cooking time. To accommodate this, judiciously draw the majority of the glowing embers to form two distinct piles beneath these fleshy sections, providing the necessary intense heat while allowing the thinner body to cook at a more gradual pace.