Best for: A charcoal-grill night built around China’s favorite street skewer.
In Xinjiang and at shaokao (Chinese street barbecue) stalls everywhere, yangrou chuan — lamb skewers — are the main event: small cubes of lamb and fat threaded tight, grilled hard over charcoal, and showered with cumin and chile while they sizzle. This is that skewer, written for a backyard charcoal grill.
Grill: Direct high heat over charcoal; 450–500°F. Equipment: Charcoal grill, flat metal skewers, tongs, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Marinate: 30 minutes. Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 1 hour 5 minutes.
- 1 1/2 lb boneless lamb shoulder or leg, with some fat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
- 2 teaspoons Chinese chile flakes (or crushed red pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 flat metal skewers (or bamboo skewers soaked 30 minutes)
Directions
Thread the lamb onto the skewers, alternating lean cubes with fattier pieces and packing them snugly together — tight threading is what keeps chuan’r juicy. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes while the grill heats.
Stir the crushed cumin, chile flakes, Sichuan pepper, salt, sugar, and garlic powder together into the shaokao spice mix and set it in a small bowl by the grill.
Light a full chimney of charcoal and spread it in an even, blazing bed. Heat the grill to 450–500°F and oil the grate lightly.
Brush the skewers with the neutral oil and lay them directly over the coals. Grill for 2–3 minutes per side, turning often, until charred at the edges.
In the last 2 minutes, dust the skewers generously on all sides with the spice mix, turning so the cumin toasts in the heat without burning. Cook until the lamb registers 145°F.
Rest the skewers for 5 minutes, dust once more with spice mix, and serve straight off the grill with extra mix at the table for dipping.
Grilling tip: Keep a small pile of the spice mix for the table — at a shaokao stall, the last dusting happens after the skewers leave the fire.
