Kokoretsi

Kokoretsi

Multiple rolls of Kokoreç roasting on wood fire in İzmir, Turkey
Type	Meat dish
Region or state	Balkans, Asia Minor
Main ingredients	Lamb or goat intestines, offal (sweetbreads, hearts, lungs or kidneys)

Kokoretsi (Greek) or Kokoreç (Turkish) is a dish of the Balkans, Greece, Azerbaijan, Iranian Azerbaijan and Turkey consisting of lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal, including sweetbreads, hearts, lungs, or kidneys, and typically grilled; a variant consists of chopped innards cooked on a griddle. The intestines of suckling lambs are preferred.

The Greek name for the dish is kokoretsi (κοκορέτσι), while the Turkish name is kokoreç. It is also known as Jaghoor Baghoor ("lamb's liver") in Persian and Cizi Bizi in Azerbaijani. The origins of kokoretsi are traced back to ancient Greek sacrifices to god, where intestines were broiled over the altar, as depicted in numerous ancient Greek ceramic pottery.

The offal, along with some fat, is washed and cut into ½ to ¾-inch thick pieces, and lightly seasoned with lemon, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sometimes garlic. The intestine are turned inside out and carefully washed, then rubbed with salt and often soaked in vinegar or lemon juice and water.

The filling meats are threaded onto a long skewer and wrapped with the intestine to hold them together, forming a compact roll usually about 16–24 inches long by 1½–3 inches in diameter.

Kokoretsi is usually roasted on a horizontal skewer over a charcoal, gas, or electrical burner, and may be basted with lemon juice and olive oil.