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Authentic Cağ kebabı Recipe
Erzurum, Turkiye
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Cağ kebabı, a pride of the Erzurum province and the constant battle between the Oltu and Tortum districts regarding its origin, unlike its more famous cousin, döner kebab, is traditionally prepared with marinated lamb (hogget, to be more precise) that is skewered on a long horizontal spit and slowly roasted over a wood fire. The meat is cleaned from nerves, veins, membranes, and excess fat and cut into 2 cm (¾") thick steaks, which are then marinated in a mixture of salt, pepper, and onion for 24 hours. The meats are threaded onto a large skewer and cooked over a wood fire. Pieces of meat are cut off with the help of a skewer pierced through the meat — the metal one is called cag (hence the name!), while the wooden one is called bico. The uncooked side of the meat is finished on the grill, and the skewers are served with either lavash bread or Turkish tandoor bread tandır ekmeği, grilled tomatoes and peppers, and onions.... Read more
Serve With
Cooking tips
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meat
The meat from the hind and front legs of the animal is the best choice. The amount of fat compared to lean meat should be either a quarter or, at most, one-third. So, mix in some beef if the lamb is too fatty to get the right ratio. However, using only beef is not recommended because it doesn't result in good taste. If you need to use beef, make sure it comes from the hind or front legs of young cattle.... Read more -
onion
It's recommended to steer clear of strong-flavored types of onion and choose white onions known for their sweet to mild flavor profile. It's also important to balance the flavors, making sure that the onion doesn't overpower. The goal is to have the onion enhance the dish subtly rather than being the main flavor. -
seasoning
Traditionally, the meat is seasoned only with salt, pepper, and onion. Different recipes will include more seasonings, such as basil, cumin, oregano, paprika, and sumac. Sumac, however, is often sprinkled over the meat before serving.
Cağ kebabı
PREP 40min
COOK 1h 30min
RESTING 24h
READY IN 1d 2h
The following is the authentic cağ kebabı recipe. Pieces of lamb rib and leg of lamb meat are marinated in salt, pepper, and onion mixture and then stacked onto a rotisserie skewer and grilled over an open fire. The meat should marinate for 24 hours, so take that into account when deciding to prepare this dish.
Ingredients
500g (1.1 lbs) boneless lamb rib, cleaned, palm-sized & 2 cm-thick (¾")
500g (1.1 lbs) boneless leg of lamb, cleaned, palm-sized & 2 cm-thick (¾")
3 onions, sliced
1/2 tbsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp rock salt
Preparation
Step 1/11
Place each kind of meat in its separate deep oven tray.
Step 2/11
Take the sliced onions and squeeze them with your hands to extract the juice (in that case, the onions will not release bitter juice into the meat while resting). Evenly distribute the squeezed onions over the meats.
Step 3/11
Next, evenly sprinkle freshly ground pepper and rock salt over the meats.
Step 4/11
Using your hands, thoroughly mix the meat with the seasonings.
Step 5/11
Cover the tray with cling film and let marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 6/11
The following day, stack the meats in alternating layers onto an adjustable grill rotisserie skewer, pressing them firmly together.
Step 7/11
Prepare your BBQ by placing firewood into it, lighting it, and waiting for the wood to reach maximum heat.
Step 8/11
Position the rotisserie skewer appropriately in your BBQ setup, ensuring there is sufficient space between the heat and the meat, about 20 cm (8").
Step 9/11
Start the automatic rotisserie to begin roasting the meat. Roast until all sides of the meat turn golden brown.
Step 10/11
Once the top layer is roasted, insert a skewer laterally through the meat, about 3 cm (1 ¼") deep. Begin slicing off the roasted top layer, starting from the end of the skewer and moving in the opposite direction.
Step 11/11
After trimming the top layer, place the skewer on the BBQ’s wire rack to roast the bottom part of the meat. Continue this process of roasting and slicing until all the meat is cooked.
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