Turkish Cağ Kebab (Cağ Kebabı) — Erzurum Slow-Roasted Charcoal Lamb Skewer

• 1200 gboneless lamb leg (trimmed)
• 250 glamb tail fat or lamb fatback (traditional for juiciness; keep very cold for slicing)
• 2yellow onions (grated)
• 300 gwhole-milk plain yogurt
• 6 clovegarlic
• 18 gfine sea salt
• 4 gfreshly ground black pepper
• 2 tspground cumin
• 2 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspred pepper flakes (Aleppo-style)
• 30 mlneutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower)
• 6lavash bread
• 2red onions (thinly sliced)
• 2 tbspground sumac
• 12 sprigflat-leaf parsley
• 30 mllemon juice
• 4tomatoes
• 6green peppers (Turkish sivri or similar)
• 2000 ghardwood charcoal (use lump charcoal for clean heat)
• 10metal skewers (short skewers for serving; long skewer or spit for roasting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice the lamb and tail fat into thin sheets about 4–5 mm thick, keeping the pieces as wide as possible for stacking. Chill the sliced meat and fat in the freezer for 15 minutes so they stay firm and stack cleanly.

2. 2

   Make the marinade by mixing grated onion, yogurt, finely grated garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika, oregano, red pepper flakes, and neutral oil until smooth. The mixture should be thick but spreadable, with no dry spice pockets remaining.

3. 3

   Add the lamb slices and tail fat to a large bowl and coat every piece thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning the meat once halfway through so the onion-yogurt mixture seasons evenly.

4. 4

   Build the cağ stack by threading marinated lamb and fat onto a long, sturdy skewer or spit, alternating lamb and fat every 2–3 slices. Compress the stack firmly with your hands so there are no air gaps, then wrap and chill for 30 minutes to help it set.

5. 5

   Light the charcoal and let it burn down to a strong bed of glowing coals with a thin layer of ash, about 25 minutes. Set up the grill for horizontal roasting with the spit 12–15 cm above the coals, and keep a cooler zone to manage flare-ups.

6. 6

   Start roasting the stacked lamb slowly, turning the spit every 2–3 minutes so the surface browns without scorching. Maintain a steady medium-high heat; the goal is to render fat gradually and build a deep, smoky crust.

7. 7

   When the outer layer is browned and crisped, shave thin slices from the surface with a long sharp knife, cutting downward in sheets. Immediately thread the shaved meat onto the short metal skewers, about 70–90 g per skewer, and return the skewers to the grill for 45–60 seconds per side to kiss with smoke.

8. 8

   Continue roasting, turning, shaving, and finishing on short skewers until you reach the center of the stack. If the surface browns too fast, raise the spit or move coals to the sides; if it looks pale, lower the spit or add a small amount of fresh charcoal.

9. 9

   Make the sumac onion by tossing sliced red onions with sumac, chopped parsley leaves, lemon juice, and salt, then squeezing lightly for 20 seconds to soften. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the onions turn pink and the sumac blooms.

10. 10

    Grill the tomatoes and green peppers over the hottest part of the coals, turning until blistered and softened, about 6–10 minutes total. Serve the cağ kebab skewers immediately with lavash, sumac onion, and the grilled vegetables while the meat is still sizzling and juicy.