• Kleftiko is usually made out of mature Lamb or Goats meat.
• It must be cooked in a clay sealed pot wrapped in aluminum foil individual pieces.
• In the old days and even now, in the villages of Cyprus, one can find in almost every house an outdoor oven made out of clay or bricks called Fournaki or Fournos.
• This is something that you very rarely find in the cities, so people make the Kleftiko in a clay pot or in a baking tray in a conventional oven.

Ingredients:

• 6 or more pieces of meat preferably with bone
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Lemon Juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For Accompaniment:

• 1 kg of potatoes cut in quarters
• 2 big ripped tomatoes cut in thick slices
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 bay leaves
• Oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

For accompaniment you can make potatoes in the oven (see Leg of Lamb), or mashed potatoes. It can also be accompanied with a nice Greek salad.

Method:

• Wash the meat, drain well and place in a bowl.
• Sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme; cover the bowl to marinate for about 30 minutes.
• Wrapped the meat individually in aluminum foil and place them in a baking tray or clay pot.
• If you cook your Kleftiko in a clay pot, mix some flour with water and seal the cover.
• If you use a baking tray make sure the aluminum wrapper is not penetrated by any bones of the meat and they are sealed so the heat and the juice of the meat stays in it.
• Place clay pot or baking tray with your meat in the oven in low heat and cook meat for about 3 hours.
• Remove from oven place in a dish with your accompaniments and enjoy.