Mechoui
Morocco and Algeria (Berber whole-animal roasting tradition; earth oven technique)
Mechoui is Morocco's whole-roasted lamb — a whole animal or large shoulder marinated in cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic, butter, and smen, then slow-roasted in an earth oven (or modern gas oven) for 5–8 hours until the meat falls from the bone with the lightest touch and the skin has crisped to a dark, spiced crackling. The preparation is the centrepiece of Moroccan celebrations — Eid al-Adha, weddings, and moussem (seasonal festivals) — and the traditional service is to tear the meat by hand at the table rather than carving with a knife, the falling-apart tenderness making carving unnecessary. The spiced butter baste is applied throughout the long roast, creating a lacquered, deeply aromatic crust.