Kleftiko / Κλέφτικο

 

Kleftiko comes from the Greek verb “to steal”. The cooking method is said to

originate during the Greek revolution in 1821, when Greece and Cyprus were under the occupation of Turkey. ‘Kleftithes’ (thieves) were a group of bandits who left their villages and lived in the mountains chasing after the Turks and stealing livestock from them. They cooked the stolen meat in sealed pots with wild herbs under the ground, so that the aroma from the cooking would not reach the noses of the Turkish guards.

Kleftiko is still very popular in Greece and Cyprus. It is cooked in special clay ovens in tavernas. A good Kleftiko should fall from the bone when ready.

I do my own thing when cooking Kleftiko by adding tomato which is apparently frowned upon, but I’ve never had any complaints!

 

Ingredients (serves 4):

 

4 thick leg of lamb steaks or large chunks of shoulder on the bone cut to 3cm / 1¼ inch thick

1 kilo (2lb) large Cyprus or Desiree potatoes

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, quartered

2 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers

4 bay leaves

1 tbsp thyme or oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

100ml (½ cup) olive oil

Juice of 1 large lemon

100ml (½ cup) white wine

1 cup of meat stock

 

Method:

Peel and wash the potatoes, cut each one in half lengthways, place in a large earthenware or roasting dish and season with salt and pepper. Insert two slivers of garlic into each steak and place the meat on top of the potatoes.

Scatter the onions, tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, stock and wine, and pour over the meat.

Cover with a lid or parchment paper, then with foil, and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c  /

350f / gas mark 4 for approximately 2 ½ hours or until the meat is very tender and falls easily from the bone.

Serve Kleftiko at once with a Greek salad.

 

Note: You can remove the cover 15 minutes before finishing time to brown the meat. The potatoes will absorb lots of juices, so will not be very crisp, but will be soft and taste delicious.

 

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