A (asphalt leg of lamb) is a leg of lamb prepared by wrapping the meat in

kraft paper Kraft paper or kraft is paper or paperboard (cardboard) produced from chemical pulp produced in the kraft process. Sack kraft paper (or just sack paper) is a porous kraft paper with high elasticity and high tear resistance, designed for packag ...

and placing in a bath of hot

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

. This preparation method is used traditionally in France to celebrate the completion of the structural portion of construction projects or

public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...

.Le gigot-bitume : la marque de fabrique du BTP
publié le 6 juillet 2011, lemoniteur.fr. A recipe for the dish, , appears in the 1900 cookbook ("True Practical Cuisine: Soups, Fish, Beef, Veal, Lamb, Mutton, Pork, Poultry, Game") :"This is a strange cooking method that can be put to good use by workers. I give the recipe as it was passed on to me. In a hot boiler of asphalt, when paving the ground, immerse a leg of lamb wrapped in very strong paper. With the assistance of a stone attached to one end, it will be pulled into the middle of the tar. One hour of cooking gives the meat a particularly excellent flavor. Salt when removed from the heat." Usage of this cooking method by asphalt workers, in particular, has existed since the end of the 19th century.

References

French meat dishes Lamb dishes Asphalt Ceremonies in France Closing ceremonies 19th-century establishments in France Ceremonial food and drink Construction in Europe {{France-cuisine-stub