Grilled Spiced Lamb Skewers (Shashlik)
Portland chef Vitaly Paley makes these luscious skewers, an iconic food in the Republic of Georgia, for his Soviet-style pop-up restaurant, DaNet. For the most tender skewers, he recommends buying a boneless leg of lamb and cutting it up, rather than using lamb "stew meat" (which can come from the more gristly shoulder). Or use lamb loin, which is more expensive but has less fat and sinew. You'll need 8 (9 in.) metal skewers for this recipe. Our suggested wine pairing, for the lamb skewers served with wild plum sauce: Mark Ryan 2014 "Wild Eyed" Syrah (Red Mountain; $48).
- Time: 600 min
- Servings: 4
Source: Sunset Magazine
Ingredients
- medium onion, chopped
- garlic cloves, chopped
- teaspoon ground cumin
- teaspoon coriander
- teaspoon ground fennel
- teaspoon ground fenugreek*
- teaspoon sweet paprika
- teaspoon hot paprika
- chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus cilantro sprigs for garnish
- red wine vinegar
- About 1 tsp. kosher salt
- to 3 1/2 lbs. leg of lamb, fat and sinew trimmed, meat cut into 1 1/2- to 2-in.