Arni Kleftiko Rebel Lamb Recipes

ARNI KLEFTIKO (REBEL LAMB)

The verb 'klevo' in Greek means 'to steal'. This delicious lamb dish is called 'kleftiko' because, it is said, that when Greeks were fighting to liberate themselves from Ottoman Rule and hiding in the mountains, they would seal all the ingredients for this dish in a clay pot, bury it with hot coals under ground, cover with dirt, and allow it to braise, slowly, until done. This way, there were no delicious cooking smells in the air to betray their presence and bring the Ottomans to their hide-out. A romantic story - a lovely dinner. Don't forget some good red wine. Many, for lack of a clay pot (like a bean pot) wrap their kleftiko up well in parchment (a couple of layers) and braise that way.

Provided by evelynathens

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 3h15m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

Arni Kleftiko (Rebel Lamb) image

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together and toss well with scrupulously clean hands until everything is well-coated. Season generously with pepper, but go a little easier on the salt than you normally would cause the cheese will also lend its salt to the finished dish.
If you have a large clay pot, like a bean pot, assemble the ingredients there, cover with lid, and proceed with recipe. If not, cut 6 large sheets of parchment, distribute the kleftiko mixture evenly amongst the 6 sheets, and wrap up envelope-style. You may need to double-wrap cause you don't want any of the lovely juices this recipe emits to get lost in drainage while braising. A large, covered casserole would work well, too. Basically what you want to do is have as little liquid escape during cooking as possible.
Braise, in the oven, for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. You want the meat to be falling off the bone. Yes, the potatoes and carrot will be very soft and tender, but will be permeated with a deep-rich flavour. Do not judge this dish by the cooking standards you are used to - remember its origins - the conditions these people lived under -- this is gourmet food created during a time of rebellion and should be enjoyed under its own standard.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 461.4, Fat 18.5, SaturatedFat 2.6, Sodium 37.3, Carbohydrate 58.9, Fiber 8.1, Sugar 6.6, Protein 7.1

Ingredients

1 small leg of lamb, bone in, cut into serving pieces or 6 shoulder lamb chops
1 large onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced or 1 lb good quality plum tomato, drained and diced
10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh spearmint or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried spearmint, crumbled
5 medium size potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 ounces kefalotiri (pecorino or even parmesan can be subbed in a pinch) or 8 ounces kefalograviera cheese, cut into chunks of about 1 1/2 inches (pecorino or even parmesan can be subbed in a pinch)
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely sliced
1 cup red wine
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper

ARNAKI KLEFTIKO (BANDIT'S LAMB)

This recipe is an adaptation of a dish fixed in the mountains by guerillas (bandits) who needed to cook without being seen. They placed the meat on coals in a hole, covered it up, and let it cook for up to 24 hours. No trace of any stolen animal, and no smell of cooking meat to give them away.

Provided by Member 610488

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 2h50m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

Arnaki Kleftiko (Bandit's Lamb) image

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 480°F
Rub the lamb with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
With a sharp knife, pierce the lamb and insert a clove of garlic and a piece of cheese into each opening. Do this until the cloves are all inserted into the lamb.
Drizzle the potatoes and carrots with any remaining oil, season to taste with salt and pepper.
On a clean work surface, spread out the parchment sheets and lay the lamb in the center, with the potatoes and carrots. If there is any remaining cheese, add as well.
Close the parchment paper and secure well, tucking the sides underneath to make a packet.
Fill a roasting pan 1/3 full of water, add the packet and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes, adding more water to the pan as needed to keep from getting dry.
When done, lift the entire packet onto a serving platter, and cut open at the table to serve.
Alternate preparation: Cut meat into serving size portions and wrap each portion, together with portion-size serving of potatoes and carrots, individually. Set side by side in roasting pan to cook, and serve one packet to each plate.

Ingredients

4 lbs leg of lamb
12 garlic cloves, peeled
6 ounces cheese, cut in cubes (kefalotyri, pecorino)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 lbs baking potatoes (peeled and cut in half or quarters)
3 medium carrots, cut in chunks
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
5 sheets of parchment cooking paper
water

More about "arni kleftiko rebel lamb recipes"

HOW TO MAKE GREEK LAMB KLEFTIKO - MY GREEK DISH

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4.7/5
Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
Category Main
Calories 714 per serving

To prepare this Greek lamb kleftiko recipe, start by washing thoroughly the lamb and cut into portions (approx. 5*6 cm). Place in a large bowl or basin and set aside.
Prepare the vegetables for the lamb kleftiko. Cut the onions in half and then in four wedges. Cut the peppers in 2-3 cm chunks and slice 2 cloves of garlic. Add the vegetables in the bowl with the lamb and pour in the olive oil, white wine and lemon juice. Add the mustard, 2 whole cloves of garlic, sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to blend all the ingredients together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, chill and let marinade for at least 2 hours. It’s best to leave the meat for the lamb kleftiko marinade overnight, to soak up all the wonderful flavours.
Once the meat for the lamb kleftiko is marinated, return the lamb at room temperature. In the same bowl add the cheese (cut into 2cm cubes) and blend. Preheat the oven to 180C.
To prepare the potatoes for this lamb kleftiko recipe, peel the potatoes and cut in four pieces. (The lamb kleftiko will require about 2 1/2 hours baking, so it’s best to cut the potatoes in large pieces, to keep their shape.)

Arni Kleftiko Rebel Lamb Recipes

ARNI KLEFTIKO (REBEL LAMB)

ARNAKI KLEFTIKO (BANDIT'S LAMB)

This recipe is an adaptation of a dish fixed in the mountains by guerillas (bandits) who needed to cook without being seen. They placed the meat on coals in a hole, covered it up, and let it cook for up to 24 hours. No trace of any stolen animal, and no smell of cooking meat to give them away.

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