ShoulderCypriot Souvla on the Foukou
The Sunday cook of every Cypriot village. Big chunks of pork shoulder turning slowly over charcoal for two and a half hours, seasoned with almost nothing.
SausagesSheftalia, Cypriot Caul Fat Sausages
Minced pork and lamb wrapped in caul fat, which melts as it cooks and bastes the meat from the outside in. There is nothing else quite like them.
CheeseGrilled Halloumi, Properly
Halloumi is squeaky and dull when it is done badly and genuinely excellent when it is done properly. The difference is thickness and heat.
CheeseHalloumi and Vegetable Skewers
Halloumi is the one cheese that holds its shape on a skewer, threaded between peppers and courgette and charred until it squeaks and softens.
Cypriot barbecue is built around the foukou, a long charcoal trough with a motor turning several skewers at once. That single piece of equipment shapes everything: meat goes on in big pieces rather than cubes, cooks for two or three hours rather than minutes, and needs almost no attention once it is turning.
The seasoning is deliberately spare. Salt, pepper, dried rigani and lemon squeezed on at the end, and that is genuinely it. There is no marinade tradition and no sauce, because the technique is doing the work. Anything more is considered a way of hiding ordinary pork.
It is also the most social format on this site. A souvla takes long enough that the cooking is the gathering rather than a task before it, which is why every Cypriot Sunday looks roughly the same.
At a glance
| Recipe | Method | Grill temp | Cook time | Pull at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypriot Souvla on the Foukou | Rotisserie | 135 to 175°C (275 to 350°F) | 2 hr 30 min | 85°C (185°F) |
| Sheftalia, Cypriot Caul Fat Sausages | Direct heat | 175 to 230°C (350 to 450°F) | 20 min | 75°C (165°F) |
| Grilled Halloumi, Properly | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 6 min | Charred |
| Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers | Direct heat | 230 to 290°C (450 to 550°F) | 10 min | Charred |
Techniques used
Direct heat. Food straight over the coals. Fast, fierce, and finished before the inside overcooks. Rotisserie. Constant rotation, constant self-basting, no hot side to fight.
Cookers these suit
Foukou rotisseries. Kamado grills. Kettle grills. Korean table grills. Portable grills.