Arrosticini abruzzesi (Grilled Lamb Skewers)

Arrosticini are grilled lamb skewers unique to the Abruzzo region. They are so beloved by the people of Abruzzo that they are practically the symbol of the region’s culinary culture and, by extension, the region itself.

These little skewers are said to have originated among the shepherds of the Gran Sasso, the highest reaches of the Appenine mountains found in central Abruzzo. The shepherds would sustain themselves during their long migrations away from home by foraging shoots and twigs to skewer tiny bits of the meat from the oldest of the their flock. The meat of those old animals was tough, but cutting it into tiny cubes interspersed with fat on a skewer and grilling it over an open fire rendered it not only edible, but delicious.

I’ve said many times over the years that simplicity is the hallmark of Italian cookery. Well, arrosticini may well be the best example of that axiom. They are astonishingly simple to make, involving literally just two ingredients: mature lamb and salt. Plus one not so secret ingredient: fire.

Arrosticini are traditionally made on a special purpose grill called a fornacella (or lu furnacell’ in Abruzzese dialect). It looks a bit like a narrow canal filled with charcoal. The ends of the skewers sit on the sides, away from the hot coals so they don’t burn. Now, if you don’t own or want want to splurge on a fornacella, an ordinary charcoal grill will work, provided you folllow a few simple tips I’ve outlined in the recipe and Notes.

Ingredients

Makes 4-6

• 1 kilo (2 lbs) boneless mature lamb leg or shoulder, or both (see Notes)
• salt

For serving:

• best quality rustic bread, cut into thick slices
• olive oil

Directions

Cut the lamb into small cubes, then thread them, tightly packed, onto wood or bamboo skewers.

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the charcoal has ashed over, spread out the coals in a row across the grill about 8 inches wide.

First, grill the bread slices quickly on both sides. Set aside and drizzle with olive oil.

Then grill the skewers until cooked through and nicely browned on both sides, turning them from time to time. If your fire is hot enough and your meat cubes small enough, it should only take about a total of 2-3 minutes per side. Otherwise, proceed until you have the desired result.

Sprinkle your arrosticini generously with sea salt and serve right away. accompanied by grilled bread.

Notes on arrosticini abruzzesi

Each skewer typically weighs about 20-30 grams (about 1 ounce) but large arrosticini can weigh as muchas 50-60g (2 oz). The skewers are typically about 20-30 cm (8-11 in) long and the meat about 10cm (4 in). As pictured below, the rest of the skewer hangs over the side of the fornacella.

The only slightly tricky bit of this recipe is threading those tiny pieces of meat on to the skewers. It’s more fussy than actually tricky, in fact. It goes more quickly once you get the hang of it.

Since you traditionally eat arrosticini right off the skewer, it’s best to use wood or bamboo skewers. Unless you’re using a fornacella, it’s a good idea to soak your skewers for at least 30 minutes before using to avoid burning them. The heat of the fire will probably singe them anyway, but it will at least prevent them from incinerating.

If you’re not using a fornacella, it’s best to cover the whole length of a short skewer with the meat, which will protect the skewer. And if you really wanted to protect your skewers, you could cover the exposed ends with aluminum foil, but that’s a bit too pignolo, as they say in Italian, for me. And when I tried it, I found that the foil slipped off the skewers anyway.

Choosing your meat and cut

The traditional meat for making arrosticini is from pecora, or an adult female sheep older than 18 months, or from a castrato, a castrated adult male. In other words what we would call hogget or mutton in English. Here in North America while proper hogget or mutton isn’t very easy to find, most lamb is more mature than the lamb sold in Italy, so it works well in this recipe.

Ideally you would use a mix of lean and fatty cuts, including typically the leg, the shoulder and the belly. Lamb belly can be hard to come by, so you could go with a mix leg and shoulder, or just shoulder if you want maximum juiciness.

Equipment for making arrosticini

If you really get into making arrosticini—or other skewers, for that matter—you could invest in a kebob grill, which works very much like a fornacella. They are readily available online and smaller ones don’t cost very much at all. If you want to spend a bit more, a Japanese yakitori grill, though unorthodox, works quite well, too.

And if you’re really into arrosticini you can even invest in a ‘cubo‘, a special metal box that turns out perfectly formed arrosticini.

Otherwise, you can use a regulation grill but as mentioned above, line up your charcoal in a line across the bottom of the grate about the width of the skewers you’re using. If you have a kettle grill, leave it open.

A charcoal grill is pretty much a must for this dish, if you ask me. You will find some recipes for stove top or oven roasted versions of arrosticini, but the dish is so simple the taste of the fire is really an essential ‘ingredient’

Serving your arrosticini

As mentioned, you should eat your arrosticini right away. They turn cold very fast and tend to lose their juiciness as they cool. You will definitely want the grilled bread, it’s the perfect accompaniment.

And here’ a little tip from yours truly: Lay a bed of grilled bread on your serving plate, then lay the skewers over the bread and they come off the grilll. This way the bread will soak up the juices, making them even more delicious.

Variations

Truly authentic arrosticini are made with just mature lamb seasoned with salt, nothing more. But you will occasionally see recipes where the meat is marinated first with salt and pepper and perhaps some olive oil. Some add rosemary or hot pepper to the marinade.

Not surprisingly this dish has given birth to versions using other meats such as liver, chicken. turkey, pork and veal, as well as young lamb. Even fish.

Making arrosticini ahead

You really should eat your arrosticini right off the grill. And they tend to cool and dry out quickly once off the grill. If you must wait (for example if you are making your arrosticini in batches, wrap them in parchment or aluminum foil until you’e ready to serve to keep them warm and juicy.

You can, of course, prepare the skewers for grilling well ahead of time. Indeed, you can find ready-to-grill arrosticini skewers in supermarkets and butcher shops in Italy. And not just in Abruzzo. I’ve seen them in Rome, too. With their perfectly cubed meat all lined up in a row, they are a thing of beauty.

Acknowledgement

Many thanks to my dear friend Susan Di Zio, an Italian-American of Abruzzese origin who contacted her family in Abruzzo to provide valuable advice on making arrosticini as well as the photo above of their making them on a fornacella.

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Arrosticini abruzzesi (Grilled Lamb Skewers)

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Abruzzo

Keyword: grilled

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 kilo 2 lbs boneless mature lamb leg or shoulder, or both (see Notes)
• salt

For serving:

• best quality rustic bread cut into thick slices
• olive oil

Instructions

• Cut the lamb into small cubes, then thread them, tightly packed, onto wood or bamboo skewers.
• Each skewer should weigh about 20-30 grams (about 1 ounce). When you buy them pre=made they come in perfectly formed cubes. Our homemade arrosticini won’t be so perfect but every bit as tasty.
• Prepare a charcoal grill. When the charcoal has ashed over, spread out the coals in a row across the grill about 8 inches wide.
• First, grill the bread slices quickly on both sides. Set aside and drizzle with olive oil.
• Then grill the skewers until cooked through and nicely browned on both sides, turning them from time to time.
• Sprinkle your arrosticini generously with sea salt and serve right away. accompanied by grilled bread

Notes

 Unless you’re using a fornacella, it’s a good idea to soak your skewers for at least 30 minutes before using to avoid burning them. The heat of the fire will probably singe them anyway, but it will at least prevent them from incinerating.