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Cordero al asador
Spit-roasted lamb
Cordero al asador: whole Patagonian lamb roasted on a cross beside a wood fire for hours, with only salt
Southern Patagonia raises sheep on vast estancias, and when the shearing ends or a fiesta comes round in Santa Cruz or Chubut, a whole lamb goes on the asador: an iron cross pushed into the ground beside a fire of lenga or ñire wood. Lambs fed on wild steppe grasses taste clean and faintly herbal, so the seasoning is only salt and a brine to baste, and the result is crackling skin over meat that falls into juicy strands. Serve with chimichurri, a simple salad and bread. Order a whole lamb of 10–12 kg dressed weight from a butcher. Rushing it with a big flame near the meat is the commonest error; the heat must be steady and gentle. Chef's tip: give it about three hours with the ribs to the fire and only the last hour or so skin side, then check the thickest part of the leg reads at least 63 °C (Patagonian cooks take it to about 70 °C, cooked through).
- Total time
- 300 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 24 lb whole lambdressed weight, butterflied; ask the butcher to split the breastbone and crack the spine
For the salmuera
- 6 ¼ cups warm water
- 3 ⅛ oz coarse salt
For the chimichurri
- 1 ⅜ oz flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped
- 6 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ají molidoor mild chilli flakes
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Dissolve 3 ⅛ oz coarse salt in 6 ¼ cups warm water to make the salmuera. Keep it warm near the fire.
Step 2: Open 24 lb whole lamb flat on the cross with the inside facing you and wire it firmly at the neck, spine, shoulders and legs so it can't sag as it cooks.
Step 3: Build a large wood fire and let it burn for 40 minutes, keeping a supply of extra logs to feed it through the afternoon.
40 minStep 4: Plant the cross at a slight angle about 1 metre from the fire, ribs facing the heat. The heat on your hand at the meat should be firm but bearable for about 8–10 seconds.
Step 5: Roast the bone side for about 3 hours, basting with the salmuera every 30 minutes and adding logs so the heat stays steady, until the inside is deeply browned and the meat has shrunk from the rib ends.
180 minStep 6: Mix 1 ⅜ oz flat-leaf parsley, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp dried oregano, 2 tsp ají molido, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¾ cup olive oil and 1 tsp salt in a jar and leave it to steep while the lamb finishes.
Step 7: Turn the cross so the skin faces the fire. Baste once and roast until the skin is crisp, crackling and golden brown.
75 minStep 8: Probe the thickest part of a hind leg: it should read at least 145°F, or about 158°F for meat cooked through as it is in Patagonia. Give it more time if it falls short, then rest it off the heat for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 9: Cut into pieces on the cross or on a board and serve with the chimichurri.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 58 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 49 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cordero al asador take?
- About 300 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 270 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of flat-leaf parsley?
- Curly parsley or coriander, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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