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Kleftiko

Name: Kleftiko
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 lbs lamb shoulder or leg; 4 garlic cloves; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 tsp dried oregano; 3 medium potatoes; to taste salt; to taste black pepper

Kleftiko is a traditional Greek dish of slow-cooked lamb, marinated with garlic, lemon, and herbs, wrapped in parchment paper or foil to seal in its juices. Known for its tender texture and aromatic flavors, it embodies rustic Greek mountain cooking and communal feasting traditions.

8 ingredients

herbaceoustangysavorygarlickyearthy

Culinary DNA Preview

Greek70%

Americas30%

Ingredients

lamb shoulder or leg
2 lbs
garlic cloves
4
lemon juice
1/4 cup
olive oil
1/4 cup
dried oregano
2 tsp
potatoes
3 medium
salt
to taste
black pepper
to taste

Method

Steps not available

Origin Story

Kleftiko originated from the klephts, Greek anti-Ottoman insurgents who cooked stolen lamb in sealed pits to avoid detection, resulting in the dish's distinctive slow-cooked, tender character.

Culinary DNA

Ingredient ancestry breakdown

Greek70%

ingredients+techniques

Americas30%

ingredient_origin

Techniques

marinating slow roasting en papillote

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