Greek Lamb Souvlaki with a Garlic Yogurt Dip

I got the rifle out this week. Cleaned it, checked the optics, made sure everything was right. Deer season in Oklahoma does not open until mid-October but preparation starts now — that is the rule Danny gave me, and the rule Danny's father gave him. You do not wait until season opens to get your equipment right. You do not show up unprepared to the woods, because the deer are always prepared and you owe them that.

Hannah came through the living room while I had the rifle disassembled on the dining table and she made a face that is not quite concern and not quite annoyance but is her specific expression for "I have accepted that this is part of who I married." We have been through this every September since we got together. She believes in hunting — she was raised in Jay where everybody hunts, she understands the food sovereignty argument, she ate deer her whole childhood — but she does not love having rifle components on the table where Kai eats cereal in the morning. I understand this. I put down a drop cloth first. We manage.

I also inventoried the freezer. This sounds like a chore but is its own kind of satisfaction: you open the chest freezer and catalog what is left from last season. I had three packages of venison trim good for chili, a two-pound roast Hannah has been using for stew, a few packs of ground, and one rack of ribs I had been saving for a special occasion and apparently decided no occasion had been special enough. That rack is going on the smoker this weekend before it gets any older.

The sumac on the hillside east of Terry's is turning red right now. I drove past it on Sunday and noticed it, the way I notice it every fall — the sumac goes first, before the oaks, before anything else, this specific red that belongs to Oklahoma. I use dried sumac berries in my venison rub. I collect them in late August before the color comes in, dry them, grind them with black pepper and salt and garlic. Hannah pointed out that sumac is an indigenous spice — used across the Americas long before anyone was writing down what people ate. I knew this but did not know I knew it until she said it.

There is something in that. The color I have been driving past my whole life, the ingredient I put on venison without thinking — it is older than I am by ten thousand years. The land remembers things that people forget. I am just trying to keep up.

That rack of venison ribs goes on the smoker this weekend, but while I was thinking through rubs — the sumac, the garlic, the way a good spice blend makes wild game into something worth sitting down over — I kept coming back to this lamb souvlaki. Lamb is the cultivated cousin of venison: lean, honest, a meat that rewards patience and a confident hand with seasoning. The garlic yogurt dip cuts through the char the same way a good meal at the end of a long September day cuts through the restlessness of waiting for season to open. This is the recipe I make when I want to practice the mindset before I am back in the field.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 32 minutes (plus 1 hour marinating) | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Wooden or metal skewers
For the Garlic Yogurt Dip:
1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, and lemon juice until combined.
Marinate the lamb. Add the lamb cubes to the bowl and toss until every piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor.
Prepare the dip. While the lamb marinates, stir together the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip improves as it sits.
Soak skewers (if wooden). Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent scorching on the grill.
Thread the skewers. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Thread the cubes snugly onto the skewers, leaving a small gap between pieces for even heat.
Grill the souvlaki. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the skewers for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until the lamb is nicely charred on the outside and just pink at the center. An internal temperature of 145°F is your target for medium.
Rest and serve. Let the skewers rest for 5 minutes off the heat. Serve alongside the garlic yogurt dip, warm flatbread, and a simple cucumber and tomato salad if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Greek Lamb Souvlaki with a Garlic Yogurt Dip — When the Freezer Clears and the Smoker Calls