Cheverme
Slow-roast lamb
Cheverme (чеверме): Rhodope slow-roast lamb, here a bone-in shoulder in the oven or a covered barbecue
At summer festivals in the Rhodope villages around Smolyan and Chepelare, lamb for cheverme is turned slowly on a spit over beech embers for hours until the outside crackles and the meat slides off the bone, and the carved meat is shared with bread and spring onions. Few home cooks have a spit or a fire pit, so this recipe brings the same idea to a bone-in lamb shoulder or leg: rubbed simply with salt, savory, black pepper, garlic and oil, then roasted low and slow in the oven or in a covered barbecue over indirect heat. The result is crisp-edged, juicy and tender enough to pull apart with a spoon. Serve with spring onions, radishes, a tomato and cucumber salad and bread. The usual slip is too much heat, which tightens the meat instead of melting it. Chef's tip: cheverme is always well done; cook until a probe in the thickest part reads about 90 °C and the bone wiggles loose.
- Total time
- 330 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 ⅞ lb bone-in lamb shoulder or leg
- 2 tsp coarse salt
- 1 tbsp dried savory
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsthickly sliced
- ¾ cup water
To serve
- 1 bunch spring onions (optional)
- 8 radishes (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan), or set up a lidded barbecue for indirect cooking at about 325°F, with the coals to one side. Pat the 4 ⅞ lb bone-in lamb shoulder or leg dry and score the fat in a criss-cross.
10 minStep 2: Mix the 2 tsp coarse salt, 1 tbsp dried savory, 1 tsp black pepper, 4 garlic cloves and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and rub it all over the lamb and into the cuts. (You can do this the night before and keep it covered in the fridge.)
5 minStep 3: Spread the 2 onions in a roasting tin, set the lamb on top and pour the ¾ cup water into the tin.
2 minStep 4: Cover the tin tightly with foil and roast for 3½ hours (on the barbecue, on the side away from the coals with the lid down, topping up the coals every hour).
210 minStep 5: Uncover, baste with the pan juices, raise the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and roast for 30–40 minutes more, until the outside is deep brown and crisp.
35 minStep 6: Check it is done: a probe in the thickest part, away from the bone, reads about 194°F and the meat pulls apart easily. If it resists, cover and give it another 20 minutes.
5 minStep 7: Rest loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes, then pull the meat into chunks and spoon over the juices. Serve with 1 bunch spring onions and 8 radishes.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 45 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cheverme take?
- About 330 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 300 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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