Chef Dimitra
Attica Taverna Biftekia (Μπιφτέκια σχάρας)
Attica taverna biftekia are grilled beef and lamb patties with grated onion, oregano, and soaked bread, charred outside and tender inside.
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Aegean Island Katsiki sti Souvla (Κατσίκι στη Σούβλα)
Created by
Aegean Easter goat on the spit, lean and full-flavored, turned slowly over charcoal and basted with lemon, oregano, garlic, and good olive oil.
Main Dishes
Greek
Easter
Celebration
Outdoor Dining
1 hr
Active Time
4 hr cook•5 hr total
Yield10 to 12 servings
Katsiki sti souvla belongs to the Aegean islands and to the mountain villages where goat was the animal that lived well on rock, scrub, thyme, and stubborn weather. Lamb may get the louder Easter song in many places, but goat has its own table: leaner, cleaner-tasting, a little wilder, with meat that needs fire and attention.
The one method that decides it is basting. Young goat has little fat compared with lamb, so you don't abandon it over the coals and hope for mercy. You turn it steadily and brush it often with lemon, oregano, garlic, wine, and olive oil until the skin bronzes and the joints loosen. Good olive oil, and patience.
I like the Aegean way plain: salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, lemon, nothing sweet, nothing clever. The region is the dish's surname, and here the surname is island and high pasture. The smoke, the lean meat, the bright lemon, and the slow turning are enough.
Whole animals on the spit are part of the Greek Easter table, especially after the Holy Saturday fast breaks and meat returns to the household. In the islands and poorer mountain regions, goat often stood beside or replaced lamb because goats thrived where sheep needed better grazing. The method is older than restaurant barbecue: a communal outdoor roast, tied to family yards, village courtyards, and the Orthodox calendar.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole young goat
Quantity
1, 9 to 11kg dressed weight
cleaned and patted dry
fine sea salt
Quantity
35g
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
12g
dried Greek oregano
Quantity
18g
garlic cloves
Quantity
10
crushed
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
180ml
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
120ml
dry white wine
Quantity
60ml
lemons
Quantity
2
quartered
fresh bay leaves
Quantity
6
rosemary sprigs
Quantity
4
butcher's twine or stainless-steel wire
Quantity
as needed
for securing the goat
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole young goatcleaned and patted dry | 1, 9 to 11kg dressed weight |
| fine sea salt | 35g |
| freshly ground black pepper | 12g |
| dried Greek oregano | 18g |
| garlic clovescrushed | 10 |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil | 180ml |
| fresh lemon juice | 120ml |
| dry white wine | 60ml |
| lemonsquartered | 2 |
| fresh bay leaves | 6 |
| rosemary sprigs | 4 |
| butcher's twine or stainless-steel wirefor securing the goat | as needed |
Equipment Needed
- •motorized rotisserie spit rated for at least 15kg
- •long charcoal grill or outdoor souvla pit
- •heatproof basting brush
- •instant-read meat thermometer
- •stainless-steel wire or strong butcher's twine
Instructions
- 1
Season the Goat
Set the goat on a clean work surface and dry it well inside and out. Mix the salt, pepper, and oregano, then rub this over every surface, especially the thick shoulders and haunches. Work the crushed garlic into the cavity and around the joints. Let it stand covered in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours.
- 2
Make the Baste
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and white wine together. This is not decoration. Goat is lean, and the basting is what keeps the outside glossy and the meat from drying before the collagen in the joints has time to soften.
- 3
Skewer and Secure
Thread the spit through the cavity from back to front, keeping the body balanced. Tie the spine, shoulders, and legs firmly to the spit with twine or wire, then tuck the lemon quarters, bay leaves, and rosemary into the cavity. Close the belly with twine or wire so the aromatics stay inside.
- 4
Set the Fire
Prepare a long bed of hardwood charcoal and let it burn down until the coals are gray and steady. Keep the strongest heat under the shoulders and haunches, not under the belly. Start the goat high above the coals and turn it continuously for the first hour.
- 5
Roast Slowly
Baste every 20 minutes, lowering the spit little by little as the meat tightens and begins to color. Keep turning. After 2 hours, the skin should be bronze and the joints should begin to loosen when you press them with tongs.
- 6
Finish Near Heat
For the final 45 to 60 minutes, move the goat closer to the coals and baste more often. The meat is ready when the thickest part of the shoulder reaches 74C and the leg gives easily at the joint. Let it rest 20 minutes before carving, loosely covered.
- 7
Carve and Serve
Cut the goat into generous pieces, shoulder first, then leg, ribs, and belly. Spoon over the last of the lemony basting juices if they are clean and cooked through, and serve with lemon wedges, country bread, and a sharp horiatiki if the tomatoes are in season.
Chef Tips
- •Choose a young goat, 9 to 11kg dressed weight, with pale flesh and a clean smell. An older animal can still be good, but it wants a slower fire and more patience.
- •Balance on the spit matters. If the goat spins loosely or one side sags, the meat cooks unevenly and tears as it turns. Tie it firmly before the fire is lit.
- •Serve it with lemon, bread, boiled greens, roast potatoes, or a seasonal salad. If the tomatoes aren't good yet at Easter, don't force horiatiki. The calendar tells the truth.
Advance Preparation
- •Salt and season the goat the night before; the meat tastes better and the surface roasts more cleanly.
- •Arrange the spit, charcoal, wire, and outdoor cooking space a day ahead. Easter morning is not the time to discover one missing clamp.
- •Mix the basting liquid up to 12 hours ahead and keep it chilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 370g)
Calories
595 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
14 g
Cholesterol
270 mg
Sodium
1600 mg
Total Carbohydrates
4 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
98 g
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