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Beef Suya
Flat-iron steak is a broad, flat cut from the shoulder of the cow; look for a single 1½-pound piece. Blade steaks, also known as top blade, are a similar cut and are sometimes labeled flat-iron; they are sold in smaller portions and a line of gristle runs down the center of each piece. Either cut worked, but if you opt for blade, choose the thickest you can find and remove the gristle (which means cutting each steak into two pieces) before slicing the meat into strips. Salting the beef and letting it sit before applying the spice paste allows the seasoning to better penetrate the meat. The best way to check the meat for doneness is to cut into a piece at the center of a skewer; it should be medium-rare. We liked serving the suya with cucumber, tomato, cabbage and onion—cooling counterparts to the salty, piquant beef. If you prefer to make this indoors, place the skewers on a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil on the uppermost rack until well-browned, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through.
4
Servings
Don’t skip the lime wedges for serving. They provide a much-needed hit of acidity and freshness.
1 hour 15 minutes
30 minutes active
Ingredients
-
1½
pounds flat-iron steak, sliced against the grain into ½-inch-thick strips
-
1¾
teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Directions
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01In a large bowl, combine the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Toss and massage until evenly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the peanuts, paprika, ginger, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, cayenne, pepper and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Process until the peanuts are finely ground, about 20 seconds. Reserve ⅓ cup of the mix, then transfer the rest to a medium bowl. Add the oil to the bowl and stir to form a paste. Add the paste to the beef, tossing and massaging into the meat. Thread the beef tightly onto four 12-inch metal skewers, fitting multiple pieces of meat per skewer.
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GET DIGITAL & PRINTCould this work with skewered chicken thighs? I'd guess at least you'd have to skip the salting step (and instead put all the salt in the peanut-spice mixture), right? Any other advice?
Hi Jonathan -
You could try the suya coating with chicken thighs. I would salt the chicken ahead of the remaining mixture - you still want to pre-season the meat. For cutting and skewering chicken and cooking times, I would use this recipe for chicken skewers as your guide - https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/moroccan-chicken-skewers. Good luck!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
It doesn't say what to do with 1/3 of the spice blend that you set aside.