“Rrustell,” “Rustelle,” and ‘Arrustelle’ are typical Abruzzo sheep meat skewers, known to almost everyone as “Arrosticini.”
They are prepared by cutting the meat into very small cubes and threading them onto skewers, known in some areas as “li cippe,” which are then cooked over charcoal on a special grill called a ‘rustelliera’ or “fornacella,” specifically designed for arrosticini due to its elongated, channel-like shape.
The tastiest arrosticini are distinguished by their perfect cooking, the cutting of the meat into irregular pieces of various sizes, and the interposition of layers of very lean meat with small pieces of fat, also from sheep, which makes them soft and fragrant. Of course, the higher the quality of the meat, the better the rustell will be.
They are usually accompanied by slices of unsalted bread seasoned with only extra virgin olive oil and good Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine.
