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Büryan
Siirt büryan: lamb slow-roasted until meltingly tender and crisp-skinned, an oven version of the pit kebab
In Siirt, büryan is eaten for breakfast: whole sides of young lamb hang for hours in a deep clay pit oven sealed with mud, and by early morning the meat is falling apart with crackling skin, served on thin bread with nothing but salt. This home version uses a bone-in shoulder roasted low and slow, sealed under foil to trap the steam as the pit does, then blasted at the end for the crisp outside. It needs no marinade beyond salt; the flavour is all lamb. Common mistake: lifting the foil to check; every peek lets the steam out and dries the meat. Chef's tip: pull it apart with two forks at the table and pile it straight onto warm lavaş to catch the juices.
- Total time
- 280 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Take 4 ⅞ lb bone-in lamb shoulder out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan).
30 minStep 2: Rub 1 tbsp coarse salt all over the lamb and set it on a rack over a roasting tin. Pour 1 cup water into the tin.
Step 3: Cover the whole tin tightly with two layers of foil and roast for 4 hours without opening. The meat is ready when a fork twists easily into it and the bone wiggles loose.
240 minStep 4: Remove the foil, turn the oven to 450°F (400°F fan) and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the fat is crisp and browned.
25 minStep 5: Rest for 10 minutes. Tear the meat from the bone onto warm 6 lavaş flatbreads, spoon over a little of the pan juices and serve with 1 red onion sprinkled with 1 tsp sumac.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does büryan take?
- About 280 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 270 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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