Kleftiko Shoot

Posted by Lance Goodman on Jun 30, 2011 | 0 comments

Last week I was talent on part of the documentary shoot where we went to see how kleftiko is made. I have never enjoyed being on camera, so I was a little bit nervous. Once we started filming, however, the nerves quickly faded and I was left wanting to know more about this traditional Cypriot meat.

Chelsey and I had the chance to ask a local butcher a variety of questions relating to kleftiko and his business. Initially, I had to ask the majority of the questions due to Chelsey’s shyness in front of the camera. She claimed that she couldn’t think of any good ones. I didn’t believe her, especially considering the fact that she finally came around and started asked a lot of great questions toward the latter half of the interview.

The butcher showed us the process of making kleftiko. He started with large chunks of lamb, but he said that he prefers to work with mutton because lamb is already too tender to cook for lengthy periods. The meat is wrapped in a string mesh in order for it to keep its shape during the long cooking process. He then puts the meat in large clay pots with a variety of herbs and spices, in addition to large pieces of potato. He informed us that he only buys local meat, although it is more expensive.

Throughout this demonstration, he talked about his own business and how he faces strong competition from supermarkets. He said that although his meat is more expensive than supermarkets, it is much better, and he doesn’t feel like enough time and attention is paid to the meat in huge grocery stores. Even though his shop faces competition, he nevertheless has a group of loyal customers who always buy his kleftiko.

Once the meat was prepared, the butcher took us outside to see the two clay-covered ovens that he uses. A large gas burner is used to heat up the inside of the ovens. The bricks inside stay hot for hours once it’s up to temperature. From there, he puts the clay pots inside after they’ve been wrapped up with aluminum foil. The meat then cooks for at least 8 hours.

Overall, I think the filming went great. The butcher was very welcoming and enthusiastic. I was especially interested in the story he told about the history of kleftiko. Apparently, it was once cooked underground in order to keep the smell from drifting out. This was necessary because the meat had been stolen, which is the reason why it’s called kleftiko. It comes from the Greek word “kleftsis,” which means theft.