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Food & Wine Recipe

Grilled Lamb Skewers with Cucumber Salad

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  • SERVINGS: 6
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Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon

These fiery kebabs were inspired by lamb skewers that Andy Ricker bought from street vendors in Chin...

  1. 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  2. 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  3. 1 1/2 teaspoons red chile powder
  4. 3/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  6. 1 medium seedless cucumber, diced
  7. 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  8. 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  9. 4 pickled garlic cloves, thinly sliced, plus 2 tablespoons pickling liquid
  10. 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
  11. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  12. 2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch dice
  1. In a skillet, toast the cumin, coriander, chile powder and Sichuan peppercorns over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and let cool. Finely grind the spices and transfer to a bowl.
  2. Toast the caraway in the skillet over moderate heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, garlic, pickling liquid and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Light a grill. Thread the lamb onto metal skewers. Season with salt and pepper and then the ground spices. Grill over moderately high heat until well browned outside and pink inside, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and serve with the cucumber salad.