Kebab Arni is the lamb reading of the Greek ground-meat skewer: minced lamb seasoned the Greek way, kneaded until it binds, formed around a flat skewer, and grilled hard over coals. The angle worth holding is what lamb brings that pork and beef do not. Lamb fat carries a distinct gaminess and a richer mouthfeel, so the seasoning has to work with it rather than against it. The oregano, onion, garlic, and cumin of the Greek mince are not there to mask the lamb but to frame it, and a good kebab arni tastes assertively of lamb under the char.
The build is a sequence of decisions that all happen before the meat reaches the fire. Lamb mince needs a real fat fraction, roughly a fifth to a quarter, both because lamb fat is where much of the flavor lives and because lean lamb grills to a dry crumble fast. It is mixed with grated onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt, kneaded firmly until the texture turns tacky and tight, then rested cold so it holds its shape on the skewer. Formed in an even cylinder, thin enough to cook through before the crust burns, it goes over hot coals and is turned to build dark color on every side while the interior stays juicy. Done well, it shows a hard seared exterior, a moist interior that holds together off the skewer, and clear lamb flavor reading through the spice and smoke. Done poorly, it fails three ways: too lean a mix that dries and crumbles, undermixed meat that splits and drops into the coals, or overcooking that pushes the lamb fat out and leaves the meat tight and tallowy.
It shifts by cut and by how far the spice is pushed. Shoulder mince carries more fat and more flavor than leaner trim; a heavier cumin-and-garlic hand leans it savory, while a lighter touch lets the lamb sit forward. Off the skewer it comes with bread, raw onion, and lemon to cut the richness; pulled into a warm pita with tzatziki and tomato it becomes the wrapped sandwich, which is its own preparation and deserves its own article rather than being crowded in here. The pork and beef versions of the same skewer are distinct enough to stand on their own. What stays constant is the lamb logic: keep the fat, knead until it binds, season to frame the meat rather than hide it, and grill hard so the crust sets before the fat renders out.