Kleftiko

Tied to the klephts — 18th–19th-century Greek mountain bandits who fought Ottoman rule and stole sheep from valley flocks. They cooked the meat in sealed earth pits so smoke wouldn't give away their position; the parchment-and-oven technique is the modern stand-in. The word means "thieves" in Greek.

Tied to the klephts — 18th-19th-century Greek mountain bandits fighting Ottoman rule who cooked stolen sheep in sealed earth pits so smoke wouldn't betray them. The word means "thieves" in Greek. Parchment-and-oven is the modern stand-in; the seal must hold the first three hours so the lamb braises in its own moisture before any roasting.

Lamb shoulder or leg, marinated overnight in lemon, garlic, oregano, then sealed in parchment with potatoes, onions, and feta and baked low and slow until the meat pulls apart with a fork. The parcel comes to the table closed; you tear the paper and steam carries lemon and herb up. Pan juice pools at the bottom — that's the sauce.

The seal is everything — parchment must be folded tight enough that no steam escapes for the first three hours, so the lamb braises in its own moisture before any roasting happens. Open the parcel too early and the meat dries. Feta added at the end, not the start, or it dissolves into salt.