Uyghur Lamb Skewers: A Fiery Street Food Classic
Uyghur lamb skewers, known as kawap in Uyghur, have become an iconic street snack across China, particularly in Beijing where they are called "old Beijing skewers." These addictive kebabs, spiced with cumin and chilli, are now popular in London's diverse dining scene, thanks to restaurants serving food from Xinjiang, the autonomous north-western Chinese region. The dish reflects Turkic culinary traditions, with a love for lamb and generous spicing.
Choosing the Right Cut of Lamb
The key to perfect skewers is well-marbled lamb. Maggie Zhu of Omnivore's Cookbook recommends a well-marbled cut like breast, shoulder, or neck, or a lean cut like leg or rump interspersed with small chunks of lamb fat. Helen Graves, in her barbecue book Live Fire, suggests rump, noting that fat chunks become less appealing after cooling but aid cooking. Wei Guo of Red House Spice and restaurateur Jason Wang use 2.5 cm x 1.5 cm pieces for juicier results, with fat sliced thinner to become crispy when grilled.
Marinade: Simple and Effective
While some recipes marinate for up to 24 hours, the ideal time is 30 minutes to two hours. Over-marinating can make the meat too salty. The simplest and most effective marinade uses onion and salt. Onion helps reduce gamey flavor and adds savory heat, while salt seasons deeply. Complex marinades with soy sauce, ginger, or nutmeg can obscure the essential roasted cumin and chilli flavors.
Seasoning: Cumin and Chilli Heat
After browning the meat, sprinkle with a dry spice blend of ground cumin, chilli powder, and optionally Sichuan peppercorns for tingly heat. Whole cumin seeds and chilli flakes add crunch and extra heat. Wang finishes with sesame seeds for crunch. Move skewers to lower heat after browning to prevent burning the spices.
Grilling to Perfection
Cook skewers on a barbecue or smoking-hot griddle pan for 6-7 minutes, turning often, until well browned. Then move to a cooler part and sprinkle with the spice mix, turning and sprinkling until cooked to your liking—about 10 minutes total. Guo recommends rubbing skewers together to distribute fat, but this is optional for lean meat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with flatbreads warmed in lamb fat and chopped salads, or enjoy on their own with cold beer, as is customary in Beijing. These skewers are best eaten immediately while hot.
Recipe: Perfect Uyghur Lamb Skewers
Prep: 10 min | Marinate: 40 min+ | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 2 (easily scaled)
- 400g lamb rump or leg, preferably with thick fat cap
- ½ onion, peeled
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp mild-medium chilli powder
- ½ tsp coarsely ground Sichuan peppercorns
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Trim fat from meat and cut into 2.5 cm x 1.5 cm pieces; cut fat into thinner squares. Finely slice onion, mix with meat and fat, add salt, toss well. Leave at room temperature for at least 40 minutes and up to 2 hours. Prepare barbecue or griddle pan. Thread meat and fat onto skewers, discarding onion (or fry separately). Use flat metal skewers (soak wooden ones 30 min). Push meat cubes together, include 2-3 pieces of fat per skewer. Toast cumin seeds; mix ground cumin and chilli powder. Grill skewers 6-7 minutes, turning often, until browned. Move to cooler heat, sprinkle with cumin-chilli mix, cook turning and sprinkling until done (about 10 min total). Transfer to plate, sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorns, cumin seeds, and chilli flakes if using. Eat immediately.
Jason Wang recalls eating 60-80 skewers in one go as a youth. Share your memories or homemade versions in the comments.
