Méchoui
Whole spit-roasted lamb or sheep in Maghrebi cuisine.
Méchoui, also called meshwi, is a dish from Maghrebi cuisine consisting of a whole sheep or lamb roasted on a spit over a barbecue. Its name derives from the Arabic word *šawā*, meaning grilling or roasting. Common across North Africa, the term has slightly different uses: in Algeria and Morocco, it specifically refers to cooking a whole lamb or sheep on a spit, while in Tunisia it can describe any piece of meat or fish grilled over embers.
To prepare it, a young lamb is slaughtered and dismembered, with all internal organs removed except the kidneys. The body cavity is sprinkled with spices—particularly ras el hanout—and then stitched shut. The lamb is skewered on a tree branch and cooked beside a pile of embers, not directly above them, to prevent fat from dripping onto the coals and charring the meat. The spit is rotated slowly and evenly so the interior cooks at roughly the same pace as the exterior. During cooking, the meat is brushed with melted butter or oil to make the skin crispy. As it cooks, the lamb is gradually moved closer to the hot embers, turning an amber color. Cooking time depends on the animal’s weight, typically about fifteen minutes per kilogram.
Méchoui is served at the start of a meal, often during a feast or *diffa*. The host uses the fingers of the right hand to tear off pieces of grilled meat and offer them to guests. No cutlery is used, as the slow cooking makes the meat tender enough to detach without effort. Among nomadic populations, a small number of male lambs are raised specifically for méchoui, separate from the main herd. These lambs are fed *cheih*, a wild mugwort that gives the meat a distinctive flavor.
Regional variations exist. In Morocco, for instance, a vertical hole or earthen oven is dug, about 0.8 to 1 meter in diameter and 1.5 to 2 meters deep. Wood is stacked inside and burned for five or six hours. When the surrounding earth smokes and the wood becomes embers and ash, most of it is removed to avoid flare-ups. The prepared lamb is placed vertically into the oven, then sealed with a lid covered in clay, mud, or wet sand. It cooks for four to five hours. Once done, the hardened cover is broken open to remove the lamb.
Traditionally, méchoui is served with cumin and salt on a plate or decorative dish. Diners sprinkle the seasonings to taste before eating.
- Field
- Maghrebi cuisine
- Known for
- Whole spit-roasted lamb or sheep
- Region
- North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)
Lore & Background
After slaughtering and dismembering the young lamb, all internal organs are removed except the kidneys. The cavity is stitched after being sprinkled with spices, particularly ras el hanout. The lamb is skewered on a tree branch and cooked next to a pile of embers, rotated slowly and evenly. The prepared lamb is not placed directly above the embers to prevent fat from igniting and charring the outer flesh. Cooking starts gently so the interior cooks almost simultaneously with the outside. During cooking, the meat is brushed with melted butter or oil to make it crispy. Gradually, the lamb is brought close to the hot embers to achieve an amber color. Cooking time varies by weight, typically about a quarter of an hour per kilogram.
Reader's Guide
Méchoui is a dish served at the beginning of the meal, as part of a feast or diffa. With the fingers of the right hand, the host takes pieces of grilled meat and offers them to guests. Traditionally, no cutlery is used because the slow cooking makes the meat detach without effort. Nomadic populations raise a small number of male lambs specifically for méchoui, feeding them with cheih, a species of wild mugwort that gives the lamb a distinctive character. In Morocco, méchoui is prepared by digging a vertical hole or constructing an earthen oven 0.8 to 1 meter in diameter and 1.5 to 2 meters deep. Wood burns for five or six hours; when the earth smokes and wood becomes embers, most is removed. The lamb is added vertically and enclosed with a lid covered with clay, mud, or wet sand, sealed as well as possible. Cooking lasts four to five hours, then the hardened cover is broken to remove the lamb. Traditionally, méchoui is served with cumin and salt, either on a plate or in a decorative serving dish. Diners sprinkle salt and cumin to taste before eating.
Did You Know?
- The word méchoui comes from the Arabic word šawā (شواء), meaning 'grilling, roasting'.
- In Tunisia, méchoui applies to any piece of meat or fish grilled with embers, not just whole lamb.
- Nomadic populations feed male lambs specifically for méchoui with cheih, a species of wild mugwort.
- In Morocco, méchoui is cooked in a vertical earthen oven sealed with clay, mud, or wet sand.
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