Uyghur lamb skewers, known as kawap in Uyghur, are wildly popular across China as an iconic street snack. Originating from the Xinjiang region, these addictive skewers feature lamb marinated with onion and salt, then grilled over high heat and seasoned with cumin, chilli, and Sichuan pepper. They have become a staple in Beijing, where they are sometimes called "old Beijing skewers," according to food blogger Maggie Zhu.
Choosing the Right Meat
Lamb is the traditional choice, but beef can be substituted. Maggie Zhu recommends well-marbled cuts like breast, shoulder, or neck, or lean cuts like leg or rump interspersed with small chunks of lamb fat. Helen Graves, in her cookbook Live Fire, prefers rump, noting that fat chunks become less appealing after cooling. The meat should be cut into cubes of about 2.5 cm by 1.5 cm, with fat sliced thinner to become crispy during grilling, as suggested by Wei Guo of Red House Spice.
Marinating for Flavor
Marinating times vary from 30 minutes to 24 hours. The Tse sisters recommend up to 24 hours, but testers found it too salty after that long. The sweet spot is 30 minutes to two hours. The marinade should be simple: onion and salt. More complex marinades with soy sauce, ginger, or nutmeg can obscure the essential flavours of cumin and chilli. Guo also uses onion to reduce gamey flavour.
Seasoning and Spices
During cooking, the skewers are sprinkled with a dry spice blend of ground cumin, chilli powder, and optionally Sichuan peppercorns. Jason Wang adds sesame seeds for crunch and whole cumin seeds for extra flavour. It's important to brown the meat before adding spices to prevent burning. Move skewers to a lower heat after browning to avoid flare-ups from dripping fat.
Grilling Techniques
Grill over hot coals or a smoking-hot griddle pan. Cook for about 10 minutes total: first 6-7 minutes turning often until browned, then move to cooler part and sprinkle with spice mix, turning and sprinkling until done. Guo suggests rubbing skewers together to distribute fat, but this may not be necessary with well-marbled meat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with flatbreads warmed in lamb fat, chopped salads, or simply on their own. Zhu describes Beijing locals enjoying skewers with cold beer in summer. The recipe yields 2 servings but can be scaled. Wang claims to have eaten 60-80 skewers in one go as a youth. Share your memories or recreations in the comments.
