Grilled meat chunks

Name: Grilled meat chunks
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 142 min
Total time: 167 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 1 kg Lamb (leg or shoulder); 2 onion; 1 Green and red peppers; 1/3 cup olive oil; 3 tablespoons Vinegar or lemon juice; 1 tablespoon BBQ spices; 4 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon Salt and black pepper

Seasoned lamb cubes are grilled with onions and peppers until the edges are caramelized and the inside stays tender.

Cooking time: 2 hr 47 min
Hands-on time: 25 min
Free time: 2 hr
Difficulty: Medium
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 600

Shqaf is grilled the traditional way: large pieces of marinated meat cooked over fire, with no fuss and no stuffing. Its whole secret is a marinade given its time and a hot fire that doesn't linger.

Before you start

Seasoning firstTwo hours of marinating is a minimum — and an overnight stay in the fridge makes a real difference in tenderness.

Ingredients

4people

Amounts follow the number of people

To prepare grilled meat chunks

1 kg Lamb (leg or shoulder) — large cubes
2 onion — Quarters
1 Green and red peppers — large pieces
1/3 cup olive oil — extra-virgin
3 tablespoons Vinegar or lemon juice — fresh
1 tablespoon BBQ spices — Freshly ground for the best flavor
4 cloves garlic — mashed
1 teaspoon Salt and black pepper — to taste

When increasing the portions, use a wider pot, and gradually add the liquid and spices according to taste.

Equipment

Charcoal grill or hot pan — Whichever you have — you need high heat and very little turning.
Aluminum foil — The meat rests covered for five minutes before serving.

Method

Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic, spices and salt, season the meat, onions and peppers, and cover in the refrigerator.
2 hrYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
The marinating time is up.
Tip: Don't cut the resting time short; it is part of getting the final texture right.
Take the meat out of the fridge half an hour before grilling so it comes to room temperature.
30 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
Half an hour has passed and the meat is no longer cold to the touch.
Tip: Cold meat chars outside and stays raw inside.
Grill the meat over charcoal or a hot pan, turning it a little, with the vegetables around it.
12 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The edges are dark and caramelized and the center soft and pink — don't overgrill it or it turns tough.
Tip: Check the doneness cue before moving on to the next step, rather than relying on the time alone.
Cover it with foil for five minutes to rest, and serve it with bread and sumac onions.
5 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
Five minutes have passed with the meat covered in foil.
Tip: Don't cut the resting time short; it is part of getting the final texture right.