Italian cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Arrosticini Abruzzesi

Small lamb skewers from Abruzzo, seasoned only with salt and grilled over intense embers in a few minutes.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g lamb (from the shoulder)
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 rustic white bread
• 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Freeze the lamb for 30 min so it can be cut cleanly, then cut into even 1.5 cm cubes, keeping fatty and lean pieces separate.
2. Thread eight to ten cubes alternating lean and fatty pieces tightly onto thin 25 cm wooden skewers; the fatty pieces keep the meat juicy while grilling.
3. Layer the skewers loosely on a tray, brush very lightly with olive oil and keep cool until grilling.
4. Bring the charcoal grill to very intense embers and lay the skewers close together across the grate so only the meat sits over the embers.
5. Grill 2-3 min per side, turning only once, until the edges show dark char marks and the fat starts to drip - longer will dry out the meat.
6. Sprinkle the skewers immediately with the coarse sea salt, stand them upright in a tall container and serve with toasted white bread and lemon wedges.