Spring is beckoning. Easter is upon us. The Greek one. It’s time to do the lamb.
We’re talking here about an entire lamb—head to hoof—cooked over a coal spit. From prep to feast, we’re looking at a two day affair.
I’ve only attempted this succulent pageant solo once, but I have gone through the gauntlet numerous times with my late Father-in-law, Dr. Ilias Karas. We called him Doc. He grew up in Athens as the son of a butcher, so he knew his way around a carcass.
In Greece, the slaughtering of a spring lamb is the most important celebration on the calendar. This ancient ritual honors the gods and celebrates the renewal of life that happens all around this time of year—the return of flowers, the replenishing of crops, the warmer days. In Ancient Greece, Dionysius, God of Wine and Pleasure, oversaw the feast. In my day, the Doc was in charge.
This sort of thing can’t really be done in a day. You can’t just go buy a frozen lamb from Costco and fire up a grill. Prep starts at least a week out. You need to make friends with a local butcher and order a fresh lamb ahead of time. You can ask them to remove the head if that sort of thing wigs you out (Doc had a taste for the brains, but that’s a story for another day). Even when you procure the prize, you need to prep it and let it rest overnight, then cook it all day on the following day. There’s also a bit of time required to get the spit set up in a place that is sheltered somewhat from wind, and, if possible, scenic. Once you get this operation in full swing, you’re going to be settled for many hours. Doc used to do this on the roof of his family home in Athens with a view of the Acropolis in the distance. Oh, and you also may need to take apart half of your refrigerator to make room for the body that you are going to stuff into it overnight.
Doc on the roof in Athens going old school with the hand crank spit.
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