Still Discovering Spain...

Oven-cooked lamb is a Christmas special, but I bet you haven't tried it cooked this way....Without a shadow of doubt, the festival of roast lamb (Cordero a la Estaca) is one on the finest “al fresco” eating experiences there is. Up high on a mountain top meadow, fires are lit early in the morning and constantly topped up with firewood from Ash trees creating a slow burning pit of embers ideal for cooking whole splayed lamb for six hours or more.

The result is a succulent “cooked to perfection” meat with a delicious smokey flavor from the Ash wood and a wonderful added taste from the homemade chimichurri (a mix of herbs, garlic, vinegar, white wine and olive oil) which is squirted into the meat just before the end of the cooking process. This process of slow-roasting lamb has attracted the attention of Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin who visited Asturias to see how it was done… who knows, maybe in future novels we will see the house of Stark celebrating with a “Cordero a la Estaca”.

Preparing and roasting lamb like this can be found throughout the region of Asturias during the summer with many towns hosting their own festival and is open to anyone wishing to try it. There are also many restaurants that offer “Cordero a la Estaca” throughout the year but keep in mind that you will probably you will have to pre-order the dish as it involves a lot of preparation.

One of the largest Lamb roasting festivals in Asturias is held in “Prau Llagüezos” (Llagüezos meadow) which is situated on the border between the council of Quirós and Lena 1330m above sea level. It is also one of the best situated thanks to its wonderful views and megalithic tombs and Dolmens which are located at the entrance of the meadow, called Alto de la Cobertoria. It has been held at this priviliged location annually since  1965.

Just in case you can't find the place, here are the coordinates!

Latitude     43° 9’11.57″N Longitude  5°54’23.45″W

Check out the video..

https://youtu.be/V2S74z-4icI