How to spit roast a lamb

Spit roast lamb can be a daunting process but with some preparation, planning, and patience, it can be done by any home cook. 

Your first task is to find the lamb. A whole lamb is not an item found in most grocery stores so it will need to be ordered ahead of time. Your grocery store may be able to order one for you, but your best bet is an independent butcher shop, one that is familiar with Middle Eastern or Greek meats would be most helpful.

You will need to know the size of lamb you require. A good rule of thumb is 1 kilogram of meat per guest. This may sound excessive but after shrinkage during cooking, trimming and bone removal, the amount is still plenty for everyone.

Once you have secured your lamb, it will require seasoning. Lamb meat doesn’t require much in the way of seasoning but the addition of olive oil, lemon, mint, basil or oregano might be welcome. The herbs and spices are up to you and the flavors you wish to impart to the meat.

One method is to soak the lemons and spices in olive oil a few days before applying the oil to the lamb. This gives the oil a chance to absorb the flavors of the herbs. This can be done while waiting to acquire the lamb so when you have your lamb on hand, oil will be ready to apply.

Another way to add flavor is stuff the lamb with onions, garlic and/or lemon and sew the lamb closed with heavy cotton thread. The lemons, garlic or onions don’t require much prep beyond simply slicing in half. Onion/garlic skins do not need to be removed.

Pass the skewer through the cavity

Securing your lamb to your spit skewer is imperative to having a trouble free spit roasting experience. Typical equipment you will require is: rotisserie forks, back brace, leg holders and some stainless steel wire. 

Secure the legs with either some wire or leg holders

When your lamb is prepped, it is time for cooking. To spit roast lamb, you need a space about 2 feet high, larger than the typical home barbeque unit. You will need a larger rotisserie unit or a large barrel grill for cooking. Prices on these vary but neither is cheap so if spit roasting a lamb is not something you do on a regular basis, you might want to check into hiring one for the day.

Tighten the back brace to keep the center balanced

Secure the spine of the animal to the skewer usng a back brace

Here is where the patience comes into play. Once your lamb is on the spit, spit roast lamb can take between 4-6 hours depending on size. The lamb has to roasted at a low temperature so that the interior and exterior are cooked at the same time. Too high a temperature, and the outside will cook first and burn before the inside is done. Low and slow are the watch words for spit roast lamb. You can baste the lamb with your marinade mixture for extra flavor while cooking.

Spit roast lamb is not a quick process but the flavor is well worth it. After the first time, once you taste the smoky, juicy meat, you may find yourself cooking spit roast lamb for all of your special occasions.

Regular basting is essential to keep your lamb moist

Do not put our lamb directly on top of the coals otherwise it may catch on fire as fat and oil drip onto the charcoal

A typical 16kg lamb should take around 4.5 hours to cook. The skin will start to peel away from the body

The meat will also start to pull away from the bone when the lamb is cooked

Use a large knife and sick when carving the lamb. You should also adjust the height of the skewer as far away from the coals as you can to prevent burning yourself

Spit roasted lamb is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.....this is all that'll be left!