Ispod sača

Ispod sača is lamb or veal baked under a domed iron lid covered with embers, a traditional Montenegrin dish.

The name means "under the sač", and the sač is the iron lid itself. Because the food is cooked beneath it, the name describes the method as much as the meat. Similar lid-and-embers baking is found in neighbouring Croatia, where the dish is known as peka.

What it really is

Lamb is the main meat, and veal is also used. The meat is seasoned with garlic, salt and olive oil, then placed in a heavy dish with potatoes and onion. The lid goes on, embers are piled over it, and the dish bakes slowly until the meat is tender and the potatoes have taken up the juices and fat from the meat. The result is one dish of meat and vegetables cooked together, not a grilled cut.

Veal is a common alternative to lamb, so a menu should name which meat is served.

How it's served

• Hot, brought to the table in the dish it was baked in.
• With the potatoes and onion cooked beneath the meat, which are part of the dish and not a side added afterwards.
• Cut into portions at the table, so the juices and fat stay with the potatoes.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat clearly: lamb, or veal if that is what the kitchen uses. Guests usually expect lamb.
• Say that it is baked under a sač lid, and ask guests to order early, since the cooking takes time.
• The classic version contains no major allergens, but list any bread, sauce or cheese served with it, since those may contain wheat, milk or other allergens.
• If the potatoes and onion are served separately from the meat, say so on the menu.