Cordero al Palo

Cordero al Palo (Chilean Spit-Roasted Lamb)

Cordero al Palo is the iconic Chilean celebration dish: a whole lamb slowly roasted over an open wood fire on a spit or cross, basted repeatedly with its own fat and seasoned simply with salt, garlic, and ají. This version adapts the outdoor pit-roast to a home oven, finishing at high heat to mimic the flame-charred crust.

Prep

45 min

Cook

240 min

Total

285 min

Serves

8 to 10

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •5000 g (11 lb) whole bone-in lamb shoulder and leg sections, butchered into 2 large pieces, bone-in, ideally from a young lamb (8–12 months). Skin-on if possible
• •100 g (3½ oz) coarse sea salt, Chilean people use generous salt; do not reduce
• •8 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
• •60 ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) ají color or smoked paprika, mild Chilean chili powder; substitute sweet paprika if unavailable
• •15 g (1 Tbsp) dried oregano, preferably Chilean orégano
• •5 g (1 tsp) ground cumin
• •5 g (ground black pepper) ground black pepper
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) water or weak beef stock, for the roasting pan
• •1 whole wood fire wood (optional), manzanilla or hualle wood for basting; for oven method, use 30 ml liquid smoke in the pan water if you want a smoky note

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the lamb pieces and pat very dry. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern 1 cm deep without cutting into the meat.
2. 2 Make a marinade: mash the garlic with the salt, ají color, oregano, cumin, pepper, and vinegar to form a wet paste. Rub this all over the lamb, working it into the score marks and bone cavities. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerated up to 12 hours.
3. 3 Set up the oven like a Chilean fogón: place a heavy empty roasting pan on the lowest rack and preheat the oven to its maximum (250–275 °C / 480–500 °F) for at least 20 minutes. An outdoor charcoal grill with a spit is the traditional method; the oven here is a home substitute.
4. 4 Place the lamb skin-up on a wire rack over a separate deep roasting pan. Pour the water (and liquid smoke, if using) into the lower pan. Insert an oven-safe probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding bone.
5. 5 Roast at 250 °C / 480 °F for 30 minutes to blister the skin, then reduce to 160 °C / 320 °F. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes with the pan drippings (spoon over the skin to crisp it).
6. 6 Cook until the internal temperature reaches 70 °C / 158 °F for medium-well (Chilean tradition) or 82 °C / 180 °F for well-done, falling-off-the-bone tender. Total oven time is about 2½–4 hours depending on the size of the pieces.
7. 7 For the final crust, raise the oven back to 250 °C / 480 °F for 8–10 minutes until the skin bubbles and chars lightly. Watch closely to avoid burning.
8. 8 Rest the lamb, loosely tented, for 20 minutes. Carve with a heavy knife or chop in pieces with a cleaver, the traditional way. Serve with pebre (Chilean salsa of tomato, onion, cilantro, ají, and oil), boiled potatoes, and a bottle of red wine.
9. 9 FOOD SAFETY: Hold cooked lamb above 60 °C / 140 °F until served; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow containers, and consume within 3 days. Cook raw lamb to 70 °C / 158 °F minimum internal temperature; the resting time and carry-over heat will bring it to safe doneness.