Great for parties, as you can layer it off as you need it — ideal if people come late or you get hungry later on after a few drinks. It’s also an inexpensive way to feed a crowd. I’ve even done lamb and chicken yiros parties for my kids’ birthdays. Just get pita breads, salad, and paper bags.
LAMB YIROS
Ask the butcher for a whole boneless lamb shoulder, or tell them you want it for yiros and would like it cut into fillet-sized pieces, about 18–20 cm in diameter, for cooking more than 10 kg on one shaft. You can also use boneless lamb leg — just make sure you’re getting good quality lamb from your butcher so it’s not tough or chewy. Make sure the butcher does not include the shank.
You can also ask your butcher for a whole bone-in lamb, which is great — up to 20 kg. There is about 7 kg of bone, so you’ll end up with roughly 13 kg of meat. Just get them to debone it — they’ll do it in under 10 minutes.
Therefore, using both shafts, you can cook the equivalent of two 20 kg lambs on the G-SPIT! Then cut into fillet-sized pieces as above. You can fit up to 20 kg of yiros per shaft. If you’re doing less than 10 kg per shaft, you can cut the fillets into 9 cm diameters and stretch them out on the shaft to halve cooking time.
Whole lamb shoulder is an uneven shape and thickness, so it won’t look as neat on the shaft as chicken yiros — doesn’t matter, though. It’s nice and rustic, and once you start cutting the first layer, it will tidy up.
The fillet-sized pieces should be sliced as thin as possible — about the thickness of a pen when you can — so you’ll need a sharp knife. Ask your butcher to do it if you’re not confident, or get them to show you how. The thinner the pieces, the more tender they’ll be, as you’re shortening any connective tissue.
You can get spice blends with ingredients that are natural meat tenderisers, so I prefer to marinate the lamb and leave it in the fridge for two days — however, this isn’t essential. Season a tray with your preferred mediterranean spice, then season each layer and place on top of each other. No need for oil, as there’s enough fat in lamb, and also no need to leave it to marinate — you can cook it straight away. However, I like to do it the day before so there’s less to do on the BBQ day.
Tighten one prong on the shaft, then slide the lamb onto the shaft. Make sure the fillets are compacted down as best you can, then put the second prong on the other end.
Cook on high heat all the way, with the lid above the yiros to speed up cooking time if you like. Hold the palm of your hand about 3–4 seconds above the hot coals — just before it’s too hot — and that’s the height you should position the lowest part of the meat above the coals.
The meat should be cooked very well done — this comes out more tender than medium.
Start to layer off thin slices with a knife (as pictured) after a good hour, and keep warm in a heat pot, slow cooker, or oven.
Then cook the next layer, and repeat until it’s all gone.
You can squeeze lemon on the lamb after layering it into the pot. If you haven’t added enough seasoning, you can also sprinkle more onto the lamb while it cooks and turns.
Cooking time: Around 4 to 5 hours for 10–20 kg of yiros
Cooking time: Around 2 hours for under 10 kg of yiros with the smaller diameter described above