Kokoreç

Kokoreç (Turkish grilled lamb intestine roll)

Turkey's legendary late-night street food: seasoned lamb offal wrapped in cleaned lamb intestines, slow-roasted on a spit, then chopped fine with tomato, green pepper and oregano and stuffed into crusty bread.

Prep

90 min

Cook

75 min

Total

165 min

Serves

6 to 8

Difficulty

Hard

Recipe ingredients

• •2.5 kg (5½ lb) lamb intestines (large, cleaned), one continuous length if possible; must be thoroughly cleaned and soaked — see step 1
• •500 g (1.1 lb) lamb offal mix (liver, heart, lung, kidney, spleen), trimmed of hard gristle and diced to about 1 cm (½ in) cubes
• •200 g (7 oz) lamb tail fat or suet, diced small; keeps the filling moist on the spit
• •2 tsp fine sea salt
• •1.5 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• •1 tsp cumin powder
• •1 tsp sweet paprika
• •0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (pul biber), adjust to taste
• •2 tsp dried oregano, Turkish kekik preferred, or a mix with marjoram
• •4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• •60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• •2 whole bay leaves, tucked into the spiral
• •1 whole long metal skewer or spit rod, must be 1–1.5 m (3–4 ft) and fit horizontally in a grill; oven-roast on a rack as a home-kitchen substitute
• •4 whole ripe tomatoes, finely diced, for the chop
• •2 whole green bell or long Turkish peppers, finely diced
• •2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped, mixed with dried at the end
• •1 tsp sumac, optional, to sprinkle at the table
• •1 pinch salt and pepper to finish
• •6 to 8 whole crusty Turkish-style bread loaves or baguette sections, warmed, slit open like a pocket

Steps

1. 1 CLEAN THE INTESTINES (the most important step). Rinse the lamb intestines under cold running water, turning them inside out. Scrub gently with coarse salt and 30 ml (2 tbsp) white wine vinegar to remove slime and odor. Soak in cold salted water for 30–60 minutes, changing the water 2–3 times. They are ready when they smell clean, look pale, and feel slippery, not slimy.
2. 2 PREP THE FILLING. In a large bowl, combine the diced offal, diced lamb fat, salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp of the dried oregano, garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Mix thoroughly by hand for 2–3 minutes so the spices coat every piece. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours) so the offal takes on the seasoning.
3. 3 WRAP ON THE SPIT. Tie one end of the intestine tightly to the skewer with kitchen twine. Thread the seasoned offal and fat cubes onto the skewer a little at a time, then wrap the intestine tightly around them in a continuous spiral, pressing so the roll is firm and even. Tuck the bay leaves into the spiral. Tie the far end so the roll cannot unravel. Aim for an even cylinder about 5–6 cm (2–2.5 in) thick along its length.
4. 4 PREHEAT. If using a charcoal rotisserie, build a moderate fire away from the roll (kokoreç is slow-roasted, not flamed). For a home oven, preheat to 180 °C / 350 °F (fan 160 °C) and set a wire rack over a tray to catch drips. If you have a horizontal rotisserie, use medium heat.
5. 5 ROAST LOW AND SLOW. Cook the kokoreç over gentle heat for 60–75 minutes total, turning every 8–10 minutes so it browns evenly on all sides. The outside should blister and turn deep golden-brown, and the fat should render and sizzle. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center: the offal must reach at least 74 °C / 165 °F and hold for 15 seconds for safe consumption of organ meats. If the exterior browns before the center is done, move it to a cooler part of the grill or tent loosely with foil.
6. 6 REST. Remove the roll from the heat and let it rest on a board for 5–7 minutes. The internal temperature should stay at or above 74 °C / 165 °F. While it rests, prep the chop ingredients: combine diced tomato, diced green pepper, remaining 1 tsp dried oregano, fresh oregano, a pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper and the sumac in a bowl.
7. 7 CHOP. Working on a heavy wooden board, use a large cleaver to chop the roll crosswise into very small pieces (about 3–5 mm). This fine chop is the signature of authentic kokoreç. As you chop, splash a little of the rendered juices over the pile so it stays juicy. For each serving, take roughly 150 g (5 oz) of chopped kokoreç and toss it on the hot board with 2–3 generous spoonfuls of the tomato–pepper–oregano mix; chop together a few more times so the vegetables are just warmed and integrated, not crushed.
8. 8 SERVE. Slice the bread open like a pocket (do not cut all the way through). Pile the hot, freshly chopped kokoreç inside, sprinkle with extra sumac and pul biber, and serve immediately with lemon wedges and extra green pepper on the side. Eat while the bread is warm and the filling is still sizzling.