← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 500 g lamb shoulder or leg with some fat, cut into 2 cm cubes
• ½ Onion, grated or finely sliced
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 tsp ground cumin, plus extra to finish
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
• 2 tsp Chilli flakes
• ½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds (optional)

Method

1. Mix the lamb with the onion, soy sauce, oil, cornflour and ground cumin. Cover and marinate for at least 30 min, or up to a day in the fridge. Soak wooden skewers in water at the same time.
2. Mix the cumin seeds, chilli flakes, Sichuan pepper, salt and sesame seeds in a small bowl.
3. Thread the lamb onto the skewers, packing the pieces close together and alternating fattier and leaner cubes. Scrape off the onion.
4. Grill over hot charcoal, on a griddle pan or under a hot grill for 8–12 min, turning often, until charred at the edges and just cooked through.
5. In the last 2 min, sprinkle generously with the spice mix on all sides so it toasts onto the meat. Serve hot, with extra spice mix on the side.

Tips

• A bit of fat is essential: it drips onto the coals and gives the skewers their smoky flavour.
• Use tamari for a gluten-free version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Ang Sarap Red House Spice