Cumin Lamb Skewers
Fragrant cumin-spiced lamb grilled on skewers until charred outside and tender within. A Chinese street-food classic with warming spices and smoky char.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 418
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 1 lb lamb shoulder or sirloin, boneless
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 3 stalks scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
- 1 to taste salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1
Cut the lamb into 1-inch cubes by first slicing it into 1-inch-thick steaks, then slicing each steak into 1-inch strips, then cutting each strip crosswise into cubes. Aim for pieces roughly the size of dice.
- 2
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 3
Mince the ginger until the pieces match the garlic size, yielding about 1 tablespoon total.
- 4
Chop the scallions by slicing them crosswise into thin rings, keeping the white parts and green parts in separate piles.
- 5
In a medium bowl, combine the cumin, soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, minced ginger, and the white parts of the scallions.
- 6
Add the lamb cubes to the bowl and stir with your hands until every piece is evenly coated with the marinade.
- 7
Let the lamb sit uncovered at room temperature for 10 minutes while you thread the skewers, so the spices begin to penetrate the meat.
- 8
Thread the lamb cubes onto bamboo or metal skewers, pressing them close together so they pack snugly side by side.
- 9
Preheat the grill to high heat—you should be able to hold your hand over the grate for only 2–3 seconds before it feels too hot.
- 10
Place the skewers directly on the grill grate and let them sit without moving for 2 minutes until the bottom side chars to a dark golden-brown color.
- 11
Rotate each skewer a quarter turn (90 degrees) and cook undisturbed for another 2 minutes until that side also chars to dark golden-brown.
- 12
Rotate once more and cook for 2 minutes until a third side is charred, then flip the entire skewer and cook the fourth side for 2 minutes.
- 13
Transfer the skewers to a clean plate and sprinkle the green parts of the scallions and a pinch of salt and pepper over the top.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- small bowl
- wooden or metal skewers (four 8–10 inch skewers)
- grill or grill pan
- grill tongs
- clean plate
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
