Shish kebabs are a Turkish version of what we generally call sosaties. The Turks love to skewer spicy marinated meat with tomatoes, peppers, onions and mushrooms, and I reckon they’re on the money. Let the meat marinate overnight to allow the flavours to develop to their full potential, and for the meat to absorb them properly.
Ingredients (makes 6 – 8 kebabs)
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tot ground cumin
- 1/2 tot ground paprika
- 1/2 tot ground coriander
- 1/2 tot dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepperFor the kebabs:
- 1 kg steak (rump, sirloin, rib-eye or fillet, cut into 3 cm by 3 cm cubes) or 1kg lamb meat
- 2 onions (cut into large chunks, with layers separated)
- 2 peppers (green, yellow or red – seeds and stalks removed, and cut into square chunks)
- 250 g small button mushrooms (whole)
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
Method
- Throw all the ingredients for the marinade together in a marinating bowl and mix well. Toss the beef cubes into the mix and stir until all the pieces are coated in marinade. Cover the bowl and marinate for at least 3 hours (on your counter or somewhere in the shade), but preferably overnight. Whenever you feel like it, you can visit the meat and stir it around before putting it back in the fridge.
- Around the time that you’re lighting the fire for your braai, remove the marinated meat from the fridge and wash your hands for the assembling process. Skewer the beef cubes by alternating with pieces of onion, peppers, whole mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, packing them tightly together. Brush the assembled kebabs with any leftover marinade.
- Braai the kebabs for about 8 minutes over hot coals. The kebabs can be quite fragile, so braaing them in a hinged grid that you close gently is the way to go
SHARE THIS RECIPE