Spiced Lamb Skewers With Lemony Onions
This is the type of scalable recipe that is ideal for feeding large groups of people in a short period of time. More snack than a meal, the idea is to build a table of these lightly spiced, grilled skewers (if you don't like lamb, then pork, beef or chicken all work) and fill out the rest of your table with store-bought ingredients like pickles, olives, yogurt and flatbread for sopping it all up.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ½to 2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, excess fat trimmed, meat cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1teaspoon ground sumac (optional)
- 5tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1cup cilantro, tender leaves and stems
- ½cup pitted black olives, finely chopped
- Lavash, pita or flatbread, for serving
- Pickled cabbage, cucumbers, peppers or a mix, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Season lamb with salt and pepper. Add cumin and turmeric and toss to coat. (This can be done up to 24 hours ahead, if you like.)Step 2
If you’re using a charcoal grill, build the fire so it’s screaming hot. This lamb is to be cooked hot and fast so it can stay nicely medium-rare, so the hotter the better. If you’re using a gas grill, set it on high. Bring a clean platter, cutting board or baking dish out to the grill for the skewers to rest in after cooking.Step 3
Combine onion, sumac (if using) and 3 tablespoons lemon juice; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Set aside.Step 4
Combine yogurt and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.Step 5
Skewer the lamb onto wooden or metal skewers, 2 to 4 pieces per skewer.Step 6
Once the grill is hot, cook the skewers on all sides until deeply browned and lightly charred all over, 2 to 3 minutes per side (less time for smaller pieces), moving the skewers around as needed to prevent excessive flare-ups. (If you’ve trimmed most of the fat away from the lamb, the flare-ups shouldn’t be too bad.)Step 7
Transfer the skewers to the platter, cutting board or baking dish to rest for a few minutes and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with the dressed onions, lemony yogurt, cilantro, olives, lavash and any pickled vegetables or peppers you like.