My favourite type of spit roasting is cooking a whole lamb on a spit. Sure, certain cuts of lamb, such as a leg of lamb or lamb shoulders (used for gyros), are delicious on a spit roast, but nothing beats a whole lamb on the spit.
Because even the most ardent spit roasters don’t do it every week, it’s easy to forget what herbs and spices you used to create those delectable flavours.
You think you’ll remember it at the time, but 6 months later, when you’re preparing your next lamb, you have no idea what you did!
This time, I decided to film the process so that I would never have to second-guess myself again.
I usually order a 17kg lamb from the butcher because it is the ideal weight for the best-tasting lamb. It still has a lot of meat on it, but any heavier and the lamb becomes tough and overly fatty. On this occasion, I paid $7.99 per kg, so the whole lamb (excluding the head) cost $135. Given that there is enough meat to feed 25-30 people, the cost per person is $5.
Now we go on to how to marinade lamb for spit roasting. To infuse the lamb with delectable flavours, I applied a basic rub all over it (both inside and out) that included salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and smoky paprika. If the spices aren’t sticking to the animal’s skin, rub some olive oil over the lamb’s surface to add moisture.
You’ll probably think you’re adding a lot, but trust me when I say it’s not. Fill the stomach cavity by rubbing it all over. Take it to the next level. Put your favourite spices or whatever you’d put on a leg of lamb in your regular oven.
In the stomach cavity, I also like to use crushed onion and garlic with fresh rosemary. All of this will infuse into the lamb and produce a delicious flavour. Simply crush it and toss it in.
After you’ve prepared the lamb, sew up the stomach cavity to keep all the delicious flavours inside so they don’t fall out as the whole lamb rotates on the spit skewer. You could use a needle and thread, but I prefer stainless steel wire.
You should marinate your whole lamb the night before, or at least for a few hours, to allow the flavours to blend with the meat.
Stay tuned for our next video on how to spit a whole lamb. Alternatively, see our related blog post How to Use a Back Brace When Spit Roasting a Lamb.
Look at other marinading ideas on our website if you’re looking for some flavorful recipes.
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