Sırık Kebabı

ana-yemek

Sırık kebabı is one of the most ceremonial dishes of Çorum cuisine: a whole lamb or tiftik kid aged one to two years is prepared, skewered on a spit (sırık), and roasted by rotating it before an open fire. It is closely identified with the Kargı district, where it heads the table at weddings, feasts and large gatherings. Türkiye Kültür Portalı, the national culture portal, also records the dish among Çorum’s traditional foods.

Traditional Method

As described by the Culture Portal:

• A one- to two-year-old lamb or tiftik kid is chosen; the animal is skinned and gutted.
• The inside is rubbed thoroughly with coarse salt. As the animal turns on the spit, this salt melts and simmers inside, seasoning the meat.
• The belly is closed up and the animal is mounted on the spit before the fire.
• A tray is placed underneath to collect the dripping fat; from time to time this fat is ladled back over the animal so it does not dry out.
• When the meat on the back starts to crackle and split, it is done; the animal rotates for roughly 2.5 hours.
• Before being taken off the spit, a cut is made in the belly to drain the salty liquid.
• It is served cold, as söğüş meat, once it has cooled.

Sırık Kebabı Around Kargı

Kargı has become the dish’s namesake centre; local establishments serve it alongside oven-baked lamb’s head and a full village breakfast. In the mountain villages the dish is made over open fires at weddings and post-harvest gatherings, a symbol of communal dining.

Home Adaptation

Roasting a whole animal is impractical at home, so today sırık kebabı is often made with a lamb shoulder or leg marinated and roasted in the oven or on a rotisserie. The marinade of salt, yogurt, tomato paste and olive oil, with frequent basting, stands in for the traditional salt-and-drip technique. Detailed measures are in the recipe above.

Place in Çorum Cuisine

Sırık kebabı belongs to Çorum’s family of feast dishes alongside keşkek, İskilip dolması and the Çorum Beşlisi. It is served with rice or bulgur, or simply with sumac onions, and can be followed by the cheeses of a Çorum breakfast, including Kargı tulumu.

🍳 How to make it

Servings: Serves 6-8Time: Marinade + 2.5-3 hours cooking

Ingredients

• 2-2.5 kg whole lamb shoulder or leg (bone-in)
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt

Method

1. Clean the meat thoroughly; rub it all over with a marinade of salt, yogurt, tomato paste, olive oil and spices, and let it rest overnight.
2. Mount the meat on a spit or skewer and position it on a rotisserie, or on a rack in the oven; place a tray underneath to catch the dripping fat.
3. Roast before the fire, or in a 180°C (350°F) oven, for 2.5-3 hours, turning regularly and basting with the collected fat.
4. The meat is done when the surface starts to crack and pull apart; rest for 15-20 minutes.
5. In the traditional style it is served cold (söğüş); it can also be served hot.

💡 Tips

• In the original method the animal is rubbed with coarse salt; as it turns, the salty liquid cooks inside the meat and seasons it.
• Without a rotisserie at home, baste the meat frequently with its own fat while roasting.

A traditional recipe; quantities and times are approximate and vary by household.

← All Çorum dishes