Antikristo is a unique way of roasting lamb that you only find in Crete. The pieces of lamb are placed on spits, which are placed around the fire, facing each other. This way of cooking was originally developed by shepherds in the mountains of Crete with simple materials, stones for around the fire and improvised spits made of mulberry wood, which does not burn easily, or other. That was an ancient, easy way to prepare food in the countryside with whatever they had on hand. For antikristo, we need the front part of the lamb, from the waist up, opened and divided in half. We light the fire in a selected safe place, hold it steady and wait for embers to form. We do not wash the meat but rub it with plenty of salt everywhere. We place it on the spit, starting from the edge of the belly and passing it between the animal's ribs. We place the spits facing the fire, at a distance of about one meter, with the inner part of the meat facing the fire and the spine facing the ground. We add more wood when needed. Olive wood is very popular because it burns slowly and steadily. We wait for about 2 to 2 and a half hours until the meat starts to brown and we turn the spits around so that the meat is cooked on the back side as well. It is a healthier way of cooking than on coal, due to the minimal fumes. It is also very tasty because the meat retains a large quantity of its natural fats due to the vertical cooking position. However, it takes more time. Depending on the weight of the animal, it takes 3 to 5 hours. In Crete, there are many restaurants that specialize in antkristo, and they are particularly popular with locals and foreign visitors.
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