Cağ kebabı
Spit-grilled marinated lamb
Cağ kebabı: Erzurum's onion-marinated lamb, grilled and sliced onto skewers
In Erzurum and nearby Oltu, cağ kebabı is cooked on a huge horizontal spit turning beside a wood fire; the cook slices off the charred outer layer onto long flat skewers, and you eat it straight off the metal wrapped in lavaş. At home, thin slices of lamb marinated overnight with grated onion and black pepper, threaded tightly and seared on a very hot grill or griddle pan, capture much of the flavour. Serve with lavaş, sliced onion with sumac and grilled peppers. Common mistake: slicing the meat too thick, so it's tough and chewy; aim for 5 mm. Cook lamb to at least 63 °C with a little pink, or longer if you prefer. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated onion through a sieve and use only the juice; it tenderises without leaving bits that burn.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb boneless lamb legpartly frozen 30 minutes, sliced 5 mm thick
- 2 onionsgrated
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 4 lavaş flatbread (optional)
- 1 red onion (optional)sliced, tossed with sumac and parsley
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Press 2 onions through a sieve to extract the juice. Mix the juice with 1 tsp black pepper and 2 tbsp olive oil and toss with 1 ¾ lb boneless lamb leg. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
360 minStep 3: Heat a barbecue or ridged griddle pan until very hot. Cook the skewers for 3–4 minutes a side, until well charred at the edges; lamb should reach at least 145°F.
8 minStep 4: Slide the meat onto 4 lavaş flatbread, add 1 red onion and wrap to eat.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cağ kebabı take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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