Lamb in Greek Cooking: History and Uses

Lamb is festival meat in Greece before it is anything else, and its strongest association by far is with Easter, the single biggest feast of the Greek calendar. A whole lamb turned slowly on a spit over charcoal for hours is the centrepiece of Easter Sunday in countless households, following seven weeks of Lenten fasting that excluded meat entirely, which is a large part of why the meat carries such weight on that particular day.

Outside the spit, lamb is treated with a lighter hand than its festival status might suggest: lemon, garlic and oregano, the same base marinade used across most Greek grilled meat, is the standard treatment for paidakia, lamb chops grilled hard and fast over charcoal, rather than anything more elaborately sauced.

Kleftiko, lamb slow-baked for hours wrapped tightly in parchment or foil until it falls off the bone, represents the other end of the technique spectrum: long, gentle, moist heat rather than a hard sear, named for the klephts, warrior-bandits who reputedly cooked meat this way in sealed pits to hide the smoke and smell of a fire from Ottoman patrols.

Photo: -2020-20-21 Uncooked double lamb chops, Trimingham, Norfolk.JPG by Kolforn (Kolforn) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recipes with lamb

23 recipes on the site using it.

A tray of Greek moussaka with a browned bechamel top, one square lifted out

Greek Main CoursesGreek Moussaka Μουσακάς · 1h 55m · serves 8

A plate of golden brown Greek meatballs with lemon wedges and fresh mint

Greek Meze and AppetisersGreek Keftedes Κεφτέδες · 45m · serves 6

Slow-cooked Greek lamb kleftiko falling off the bone with potatoes and lemon

Greek Main CoursesGreek Kleftiko Κλέφτικο · 4h 25m · serves 6

Grilled Cypriot sheftalia sausages wrapped in caul fat with charred edges

Greek Main CoursesSheftalia Σεφταλιά · 45m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesTavas Ταβάς · 2h 55m · serves 6

Golden fried Cypriot koupes bulgur shells on a plate with lemon

Greek Meze and AppetisersKoupes Κούπες · 1h 40m · serves 8

Charred Greek paidakia lamb chops on a grill with lemon and oregano

Greek Main CoursesPaidakia Παϊδάκια · 25m · serves 4

A bowl of Greek magiritsa Easter soup with fresh dill

Greek SoupsMagiritsa Μαγειρίτσα · 2h 30m · serves 8

Cretan antikristo lamb propped facing an open fire on skewers

Greek Main CoursesAntikristo Αντικριστό · 4h 30m · serves 8

Thessaloniki giaourtlou kebab with tomato sauce and garlic yogurt

Greek Main CoursesGiaourtlou Γιαουρτλού · 45m · serves 4

Greek Main CoursesMastelo Sifnou Μαστέλο Σίφνου · 2h 50m · serves 6

Kefalonia kreatopita meat pie in golden phyllo, sliced

Greek Breads and PiesKefalonitiki Kreatopita Κεφαλονίτικη κρεατόπιτα · 2h · serves 8

Greek Main CoursesArni Fricassee Αρνί φρικασέ · 2h · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesArni me Anginares Αρνί με αγκινάρες · 2h 10m · serves 6

Pontic Greek manti dumplings served under garlic yogurt sauce

Greek Main CoursesManti Pontika Μαντί ποντιακό · 1h 50m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesFournaristo Kalymnou Φουρνιστό Καλύμνου · 3h · serves 8

A pot of Greek arni kokkinisto lamb braised in red tomato sauce

Greek Main CoursesArni Kokkinisto Αρνί κοκκινιστό · 2h 5m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesLamb Souvla Σούβλα αρνί · 4h 30m · serves 10

Greek Main CoursesArnaki Lemonato Αρνάκι λεμονάτο · 3h 40m · serves 6

Greek kokoretsi lamb offal wrapped and grilled on a spit

Greek Main CoursesKokoretsi Κοκορέτσι · 3h 30m · serves 8

Greek Main CoursesExohiko Εξοχικό · 1h 40m · serves 4

Greek Main CoursesArnisio Kapama Αρνίσιο καπαμά · 2h 25m · serves 6

Greek Main CoursesKeskek Κεσκέκ · 4h 30m · serves 8

More meat and poultry