Spicy Kebabs

These spicy kebabs lean toward the Indonesian satay end of the kebab family, where onion and peanut butter are the marinade backbone instead of yogurt or olive oil. Pork cubes soak for several hours in a paste of grated onion, peanut, coriander, cumin, cayenne, garlic, brown sugar, soy, and lemon juice, then hit a hot charcoal grill.

Grating the onion in a food processor is not the same as mincing. The recipe explicitly wants you to process until wet and mushy, almost a puree. That texture releases onion juice into the marinade, which is what actually carries the spices into the meat. Minced onion just sits on the surface and falls off on the grill.

The peanut butter does double duty. It adds richness and carries fat-soluble flavors like the cayenne and cumin into the pork, and it thickens the marinade so it clings to each cube instead of dripping off during grilling.

Keeping the marinade on the skewers while you thread them is the move. That onion-peanut coat chars on the grill into a caramelized crust that feels almost like a dry rub once cooked, sweet from the brown sugar and fiery from the cayenne.

Chef Tips

• Cover the food processor lid well. Raw pureed onion fumes are no joke.
• Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading. Dry skewers burn through on the grill.
• Leave 1-inch gaps between cubes for even browning. Crowded kebabs steam instead of sear.
• Pork must cook through to 145°F (63°C). Lamb can be pulled at 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare pink.

Variations

• Swap pork for boneless lamb shoulder, which the recipe explicitly endorses. Add a little extra cumin.
• Thread bell pepper, pineapple, and red onion chunks between the meat for a fuller meal on a stick.
• Serve with a quick peanut dipping sauce made from the same ingredients thinned with coconut milk.