If you are looking to grill up some meat that’s not beef, chicken or seafood, have you tried grilling lamb before? It’s absolutely delicious and it requires minimal preparation. You can very easily cut your own out of a boneless leg of lamb. To do that, simply trim as much of the visible fat from the meat as you can, and then cut out 36 cubes of roughly 2-inches each. You will require about 2 pounds of meat to do that.

Of course, you could also get the butcher to take care of the cutting and trimming for you, or look for pre-cut cubes in the meat counter. Place your meat in a non-reactive container and pour the marinade over it. Massage the marinade into the meat with your clean fingers, making sure that every single piece gets completely coated. Then, arrange the meat in a single layer, cover it with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to, and preferably, overnight.

Now let’s work on that tahini dipping sauce. To make it, simply combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth and creamy. This sauce you can choose to make right away or wait until just before you are ready to put the kabobs on the grill.

The main advantage of making it ahead of time is that the flavors will get a chance to meld and develop a little.  When you are ready to eat, lightly oil the grate of your outdoor grill and then preheat it to very high heat, like 550°F – 600°F.

While the grill is heating, thread the lamb meat onto skewers, using 6 cubes per skewer and placing one large fresh mint leaf between each piece of meat.

Ingredients;

  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion
  • 4 large garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 dried bay leaf crumbled
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning lamb.
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb trimmed and cut into 1 1/2″ cubes

Instructions;

  1. To make marinade, add all ingredients except lamb to a blender pitcher or mini food processor; blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
  2. Place lamb in a medium bowl and season lightly with kosher salt.
  3. Pour marinade over lamb and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
  4. Soak 10, 8-inch bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  5. Thread marinated lamb cubes onto skewers.
  6. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill lamb skewers 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, for medium rare. Serve hot.