Arni Souvlaki is lamb cut into cubes and grilled on a skewer, the lamb version of the Greek skewer that more often uses pork. This article treats it as the skewer itself, the component, because how the cubes are cut, marinated, and grilled decides whether it can later carry a wrap or stand alone on the plate. The defining angle is char against fat: lamb has enough internal fat to stay juicy over fire, and the point of the skewer is to brown the outside hard while keeping the inside pink and tender.
The build is a sequence of small decisions. The lamb is cut into even cubes from a cut with some fat marbling, sized so they cook through before the exterior burns. They are usually marinated with oil, lemon, oregano, and garlic, long enough to season but not so long the acid mushes the meat. Threaded onto the skewer they should sit close but not crushed together, so the fire reaches the sides and each face can brown. Over high heat the cubes are turned to build color on every side while the center stays rosy. Good arni souvlaki shows even cubes with a real seared crust, juicy interiors, and the oregano and lemon reading clearly under the char. The failure modes are unforgiving: uneven cubes so some are raw while others are scorched, cubes packed tight so they steam grey instead of browning, or overcooked lamb that turns dry and tastes only of fat. Resting the skewer briefly off the heat keeps the juices in rather than on the board.
It shifts by cut, marinade, and what it is served with. Leg meat eats leaner and firmer; shoulder carries more fat and more flavor. A heavier herb-and-garlic marinade pushes it savory, while more lemon brightens it. On the plate it comes with bread, lemon, and a sharp dairy element on the side; pulled off the skewer and rolled into a warm flatbread it becomes the lamb-in-pita wrap, which is its own preparation and deserves its own article rather than being crowded in here. The same skewer logic applied to pork or chicken yields different meat entirely.