Greek Orthodox Easter, καλό πάσχα, Χριστός Ανέστη Options

[biganj]

Getting my Pasxa menu together and I always roast a lamb on my spit. Problem is that many times the inside isnt always done to the old greeks, "WELL DONE!!!" wantings.

I saw on tv that they wrap the lambs in greece with aluminum foil while on the spit, here's my question?
Has anyone used this method? How long do I keep the foil on? How much does this increase the cooking time?

[Ziaka]

Never used that trick, but then again I never had any problems with under cooked lamb either.

I guess putting foil around the lamb while it's cooking is to keep the temperature hot and close to the meat. However if you have a good psistaria you should be able to do that without wrapping it in foil. It helps if your psistaria has side panels so you can keep the heat concentrated on the lamb. I think using the foil should decrease your cooking time and not increase it. Not sure when you would take it out, but the I would think it should be taken out for at least one hour before you are done so the meat can get that nice colour.

I usualy start by cooking the loamb at a high point of the psistaria and with fast roatation. As time goes on I lower the lamb to get it closer ot the coals and decrease the rotation as well. That does the trick for me.

[gavros7]

i have never ever ever seen lamb(on the spit) being wrapped up in foil...perhaps you saw the kokoretsi after it was done, wrapped up so it stays hot? you have to keep basting the lamb..foil would make that task impossible!!

This post has been edited by gavros7: Mar 23 2012, 12:48 PM

[biganj]

Thanks, Ive been roasting for the past 7 years, The meat is always a well/medium well on the outer layers and medium on the inner layers, especially in the shoulders and thighs.
I and everyone under 60 loves it but the older adults always bitch to leave it on but it just burns the petza too too much and looks like shit.
I don't have the side shields and maybe will just put it close to the house or the garage.
I'm really considering using the foil method though for 2-3.5 hours and then take it off for the final 1 1.5 hours to get color.

[iltibas]

A lot depends on your setup and the source of heat

Lamb is a fairly fatty meat and it is hard to overcook it; actually, the rule of thumb is to keep it on the spit for at least an hour after you think it is done.

Another school of thought says keep it on the spit until it appears that it might fall on the coals; well cooked lamb should require only fingers to be dismembered and eaten.

It is also important to keep the temperature relatively low and to regularly baste the lamb while it rotates.

My lamb takes 6+ hours to cook, I wonder how much time other people spend rotating the spit.

[Red Spartan]

^^Ours almost always takes 6 hours

We put it on around 8 am, and its ready around 2....

[Ziaka]

Very good points iltibas. What do you use for basting? I use a mixture of olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon.
I cook mine 5 - 6 hours depending on the size.

[biganj]

My uncle gets me these small lambs, 22-25lbs from a local farmer and they never really take more than 4-5 hours tops for me and I keep the coals pretty low and spread out with the concentration on the shoulders and thighs.

Yeah, it basically fell apart last year when I cooked it and thats why I was think the foil would help it cook more evenly and faster.

[iltibas]

What do you use for basting? I use a mixture of olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon.
I cook mine 5 - 6 hours depending on the size.

Over the years I moved to the following variant of your baste:

1) your mixture minus the oil,
2) I go easy on salt, somewhat heavier on pepper, and I add some good quality French mustard (no point to ruin the lamb in order to save a couple of dollars).
3) I add some paprika, even though it adds little to the taste, and -most importantly-
4) I dilute the mixture with water; otherwise the skin will be too lemony.

I should add that my cooking innovations (not only for the lamb) have the enthusiastic support of everyone minus the hard Greek core; the latter considers that I am taking undue liberties with the sacred recipes of our ancestors.

The cooking time depends also on such things as the ambient temperature and the wind, ifany. One year it was drizzling and I had to put a roof over the lamb; as a result the lamb cooked faster and better than usual.


By the way, there are two factors I did not mention:

1) The ability to raise/lower the spit, and
2) I have a barbecue on the side so as to add coal as needed.

it basically fell apart last year when I cooked it

From this and what precedes I am inclined to believe the fire is too strong.

[Rtasos21]

Xristos anesti, kalo pasxa, panta me ygeia kai eutixia se olous!!!

This post has been edited by Rtasos21: Apr 15 2012, 10:08 AM

[Ziaka]

So how did everyones lamb turn out this Easter?

Mine turned out great. My family did the same thing that we have been doing for the past 35 years or so. All the xoriani gather together at a forrest preserve in Glenview, Illinois for one great Easter picnic. We usualy get around 100 people attending. We had around 10 lambs cooking. There are four extended families and each does their own lamb/katsiki, and everyone does theirs differently. The weather cooperated yesterday. It was nice and warm, and the anticipated thunderstorm or two that they predicted did not happen.

As I said the lamb turned out great. We ate a lot (as usual), drank a lot (as usual) and had a great time. Can't wait for next year.

[biganj]

I tried the wrapping my lamb in foil and it worked out awesome, best tasting lamb i've ever eaten.

I put the fire relatively hot and put the wrapped lamb on the middle rack and let it go for 2 hours keeping the fire pretty high then took off the wrap and let it go on low fire for 2 1/2 more hours. Cooked all the way and the outside stayed nice and brown but not to crispy.

I also took a loaf of french bread and cut it up into pieces then soaked the pieces of bread in my marinade then stuffed the marinated soaked bread into the cavity of the lamb and tied it up. The bread just melted inside after 4 hours and gave the lamb a great taste.

Will definetely do the same thing in the future

Hope everyone elses easter feast was as good as mine

[Kaukasios]

i've recently found out the rouketopolemos phenomenon in chios

as an rpg and artillery lover, fully enjoyed watching the shootout

[Ziaka]

Check out a video of our Easter picnic, which took place in the northern suburb of Chicago: