Kleftiko

I was out the other night at my favourite Greek Restaurant in Melbourne, Tsindos. Whilst I was reading the menu I noticed a dish called Kleftiko. It was a lamb dish and the menu also told a little about the history of the dish and its unusual cooking style. Apparently during the time that the Ottomans occupied Greece, the freedom fighters who lived in the hills had to steal their meat in order to be able to have a full meal. They also devised a way of cooking this stolen meat which was to seal it in special earthenware pottery, and then bury the pottery in the ground. The pottery was buried with coals and these coals would cook the meat, however since it was buried it didn't give off any smoke or show any flames, which allowed the freedom fighters to remain hidden in the hills and still be able to have a cooked meal. This way of cooking meat became known as Kleftiko and was the dish that was available on the menu that night. 

I am assuming that in a modern day restaurant that they no longer bury the food underground to cook, as they wouldn't have any need, I assume, to hide that they were cooking food in a place that people visit to purchase cooked food. However I am sure that they still seal the meat in similar earthenware pottery and cook it over coals. On this occasion I didn't happen to try the dish, I had other dishes in mind that night, but I think next time that I visit Tsindos I will give the Kleftiko a try.