Skewered Lamb with Sweet Pepper Dipping Sauce

These lamb skewers borrow the best tricks from a Middle Eastern kebab cart and fold in a bright Mediterranean dipping sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything. Cubed lamb soaks in a savory-sweet bath of soy sauce, brown sugar, onion and olive oil, which does two jobs at once: the sugar helps the skewers take on a blistered, caramelized crust under the grill, and the soy adds deep umami without needing hours of marinating.

The dipping sauce is the quiet star. Red bell pepper and ripe tomatoes cook down with garlic and spring onion, then get pureed and strained until glossy and smooth. A last-minute shower of fresh coriander keeps it vibrant and grassy against the richness of the meat.

Soak your bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before threading so they don’t burn under the broiler.

Chef Tips

• Pat the lamb dry before threading, damp meat steams instead of searing and you lose that caramelized crust
• Pass the sauce through a fine sieve as the directions say, the texture difference between rustic and silky is night and day
• Leave a small gap between each lamb cube on the skewer so heat circulates and every side browns evenly
• Rest the skewers for three minutes after grilling so the juices redistribute instead of pouring onto the plate

Variations

• Swap chicken thighs for lamb if you want a milder, more budget-friendly version
• Add a pinch of smoked paprika or ground cumin to the dipping sauce for a North African lean
• Serve over warm pita with a dollop of yogurt instead of rice for a street-food feel