SKEWERED BEEF KABAB
2 pounds good quality beef 1 cup yogurt, preferably Desi style, available in Indian groceries 2 tablespoons garam
masala (see Note)
4 to 6 tablespoons puree of onion, garlic and ginger (see Note)
3 to 4 tablespoons ground
coriander
1-and-half to 2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon Shan seekh kabab or tikka masala (optional, see Note) 1-and-half teaspoons salt,
or to taste half teaspoon freshly
ground pepper 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons tamarind
paste (see Note) 2 teaspoons sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons canola
oil
FOR BASTING:
3 to 4 tablespoons butter,
melted
2 to 3 tablespoons olive
oil, or canola
Mix together all the ingredients, except of course those for basting in a big bowl. Taking out a handful of the beef slices, coat them well with the marinade and return to the big bowl; continue until all the slices are well-coated. Knead the meat into the marinade with your hand and pack into a large resealable plastic bag.
Press out as much air as possible and seal quickly. Refrigerate in the coldest part of the fridge for at least 48 hours. Take out the bag and, without opening it, knead the masala into the meat a couple of times during the chilling period.
To grill, let the meat rest a couple of hours out on the counter. Then thread the long slices onto metal skewers, and pack accordion fashion, so that you get a full skewer of meat about 1 1/2-inch across.
Preheat the grill (I used a gas grill) to 450 to 500 and oil the grids thoroughly with a wad soaked in canola. Cook on the uncovered grill over fairly high heat, turning several time and basting each time with the butteroil mixture, until done, about 20 to 25 minutes. The outside should be dark and charred in places while the inside is fully cooked but still moist and tender.
NOTES: The onion paste is made by pureeing, or mincing together, 1 large onion, 4 to 6 cloves garlic and a 2-to-3-inch piece ginger. Garam masala and Shan kabab masala can be bought in any Indian grocery store, of which there are several in West Palm. Be careful with Shan masalas as they are pretty hot and salty.
Tamarind paste is available in various size jars in the Indian stores. It will keep in the fridge for years and can liven up a variety of sweet and savory dishes. You can use 1 or 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lime juice instead.
We make our own garam masala. If you want to try, here is a guide: “Sweet” garam masala is a combination of 4-5 sticks cinnamon (broken up), 4-6 cardamom pods (peeled), 10-12 cloves, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and often half-teaspoon mace and half-teaspoon allspice, all ground, with
1-2 tablespoons fresh coriander seeds added to provide body.
Blend the spices in a mini-blender and store in a small tightly closed jar. The recipe differs widely from family to family, even among ethnic groups. We keep the masala “sweet” because we often use saffron and rose water along with it in certain recipes.