Bandit’s Lamb

Posted by Jonathan Leach on Jun 23, 2011 | 0 comments

Today was the shoot I was looking forward to the most.  We visited a butcher shop in downtown Nicosia that prepares Kleftiko, one of the most popular Cypriot meat dishes.   Now before I go into detail about our day there and the process of cooking Kleftiko, I am going to mention its history.  The word Kleftiko means “stolen meat” in Greek.  In ancient times, the dish would be made from a lamb stolen from a flock as they grazed in unwatched pastures.  The thief would then cook the meat for around eight hours in a hole in the ground sealed with mud to keep the smoke from revealing his location.  Because of the slow cooking and closed in location, the meat remained tender and juicy. It is usually served with roasted potatoes.

Our modern day butcher shop of course doesn’t bury the meat, but he replicates the process while adding his own special touches.  I worked camera the whole shoot today so I was able to get up close for the progression.  First, we got to see him pulling the lamb meat from the meat locker and slicing it into the right sizes.  A few of the girls cringed at the sight of the frozen meat, but I was impervious to the scene.  I realized for the butchers this is a way of life, a natural process designed to feed the hungry and pay the bills.  The butcher then put the lamb slices into individual mesh bags used to help keep the meat together and retain shape when cooking.  Because he has been doing this for years this process was done almost effortlessly and robotically.  He then adds the meat to a bowl and mixes it with water, alcohol

and various herbs and spices.  This bowl is then covered with foil and animal skin, which supposedly helps with the flavor.  In a separate mixture he mixes potatoes, tomato juice and herbs.  Then we took a short break as they prepared the oven to cook the Kleftiko.  Like all Cypriot hosts, they showed we were guests by hospitably offering a variety of drinks.  After the short intermission, the bowls and pans are then placed in the oven and left to cook for eight to twelve hours.  Because Kleftiko takes a lot of time to prepare it isn’t made often.  As a result, when it is the butcher shop puts on a light to signal Kleftiko is ready, just as we would with hot and ready neon signs back in the US.  When fresh, the meat tastesheavenly.  Its tenderness is comparable to roast beef and when mixed with the fresh potatoes and a light drizzle of lemon juice its taste is unrivaled.