Lamb on the spit is a culinary highlight in many Balkan countries. In Albania, it is often a young lamb (Qengj) roasted until it is so tender that it can be pulled from the bone without a knife. The secret lies in the quality of the meat and slow, even roasting.
For home preparation, we will use a large bone-in lamb leg. The marinade is intentionally simple to let the natural flavor of the meat shine, which is typical for this traditional preparation.
Wash the lamb and pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to make deep scores (about 2-3 cm deep) all over the meat's surface, allowing the marinade to penetrate.
In a bowl, mix olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and oregano.
Thoroughly massage the marinade into all the meat, focusing especially on the scores. Marinate the meat for ideally 4 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 160 °C (320 °F).
Place the meat on a wire rack, positioning a baking dish underneath to catch the drippings. Initially, you can pour 100 ml of water or broth into the dish to prevent the drippings from burning.
Roast slowly for 3 to 5 hours. The time depends on the size of the piece and the desired doneness; the meat should have an internal temperature of 85-90 °C (185-194 °F) for 'pulled' meat.
Baste the meat every 30-45 minutes with the pan juices or the rest of the herb marinade.
When the meat is tender, increase the oven temperature to 220 °C (428 °F) and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the skin becomes crispy and golden brown. Be careful not to burn it.
Remove the meat and let it rest under aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute. Carve into thick slices or shred. Serve with baked potatoes (patate te furrës) or with simple yogurt/tzatziki.