Anonymous Tue May 23 19:41:48 2006

1 lamb or kid; 20-25 pounds

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 lemons

salt and pepper to taste

Easter in Greece is the biggest holiday of the year and damned near EVERYONE roasts a

lamb or kid (goat that is, although I\'ve been tempted). Every family has it\'s idea of the best

way to cook the Easter meal but in general the animal is spitted and cooked over an open

charcoal bed for about 6 hours. Constant turning of the \'souvla\', Greek word for spit, is

required so if the family is traditional and doesn\'t use an electric motor a lot of friends

come in handy. I\'ve found that the best way to obtain help in turning the lamb is to have

LOTS of beer and Greek wine on hand. The \'souvla\' is about 8-9 feet long with a handle for

turning on one end. It\'s placed on a pair of spikes driven into the ground about 7 feet apart.

The spikes have several different \'U\'s welded to them for raising and lowering the spit. If

you try this recipe, start a charcoal bed about 6\'x2\' before preparing the lamb or kid and

have a separate charcoal fire going to add to the bed later on. By the time you get the

animal prepared the fire should be just about right. You\'ll probably need 20 pounds, or

more, of charcoal to complete the cooking. Have more than you need on hand. Wipe lamb

inside and out with a damp cloth. Rub cavity and outside of lamb with lemon juice, salt and

pepper. Cut a small opening in the shoulder and hip joints and pour a small amount of salt

and pepper into them. Run the spit through the anus and out of the top of the skull. A

hammer may be needed for this. Use baling wire to secure the spine to the spit in two or

three places. Sew up the cavity with white string. Push foreshanks back towards body and

tie in position. Wire the back legs to the spit. This will prevent them splaying out. Rub

outside again with lemon juice, salt and pepper and place on a rack set in a large

catering-size baking dish. Combine melted butter with olive oil and brush half of this over

the lamb or kid. Baste with the remainder at times during cooking. Place the spit over the

fire with the lamb

or kid approximately 18\