Suya Image Used Under Creative Commons License From fridaymagazine.ae
My Citizens, few things delight the heart of your suzerain – the almighty TFD! – more than learning about a new recipe, especially ones from people he respects. As such, I was delighted to discover this fantastic Nigerian recipe on the private forums at amazing ribs.com, where I am a frequent commenter.
Today, user @pequod posted his version of this sumptuous meaty delight, using a pre-prepared, store-bought spice blend. I thought I would like to try and make this with my own homemade version – not to take ANYTHING away from his version, because it looks and sounds spectacular! 🙂
So you know, Suya is a spicy meat skewer which is a popular food item in West Africa. It is traditionally prepared by the Hausa people of northern Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, and some parts of Sudan (where it is called agashe).
Suya or soya is the quintessential West African street food that is made up of well-spiced grilled pieces of meat that are mostly placed on a skewer. In Nigeria, it is called suya, in Cameroon, it is called soya, in Ghana, it is called, “chinchinga”. In French it is called, “les brochettes”. It is also known as “beef kebab” or “kabob”.
Suya is generally made with skewered beef, ram, or chicken. Innards such as kidney, liver and tripe are also used. The thinly sliced meat is marinated in various spices which include peanut cake, salt, vegetable oil and other flavorings, and then barbecued.
Suya is served with extra helpings of dried pepper mixed with spices and sliced onions. Halal meat preparation methods are normally used, especially in the northern parts of Nigeria, where the suspicion of nonconformity to Muslim dietary prohibitions in Suya preparation has been known to cause riots. A dried version of Suya is called Kilishi. It can be eaten with Garri or Ogi.
There is no standard recipe for the production of the complex mixture of spices and additives which make up the Suya marinade (called Yaji) and the spice mix served with it. Ingredients may vary according to personal and regional preferences.
Although Suya originated in the Northern parts of Nigeria, it has permeated the Nigerian society, being affordable for all and available everywhere. It has been called a unifying factor in Nigeria.
Suya has become a Nigerian national dish with different regions claiming the superiority of their recipe and methods of preparation, but similar grilled meat recipes are common in many West African countries.
My version is semi-ferociously authentic – using the rare “grains of Selim”, also known as African Negro Pepper or Uda. It’s very hard to find, but I have – thankfully – found a source that ships. It also uses a variety of other hard-to-source ingredients, such as Kuli-Kuli (an African snack made from peanut powder and spices) and Maggi seasoning cubes – I have a source for these as well. Kuli-kuli is here and Maggi cubes are here.
Since every Suya blend is top-secret and unique to each street vendor, I have taken the liberty of adding in a few unique spices probably not found in the original, including fennel pollen and kochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) as well as white pepper (which probably is in the original).
Citizens, thank @Pequod for turning your guiding North Star, the inimitable TFD, onto this fantastic recipe! 😀
Battle on – The Generalissimo
Ingredients
- For the Suya spice blend:
- 5 tbsp crushed Kuli Kuli (or crushed roasted peanuts)
- 5 tbsp ginger powder
- 2 tbsp Korean hot pepper flakes, known as kochugaru + 1 tsp. cayenne powder (TFD change - original called for cayenne flakes, which aren’t easy to find)
- 10 strands of African Negro Pepper, also known as Grains of Selim or Uda
- 2 tbsp black garlic powder (TFD change - original called for regular garlic powder)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 small Maggi seasoning cube
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 1 tsp fennel pollen - TFD addition, not in original recipe
- ***
- 1 ½ pounds boneless beef short ribs, frozen 20 minutes and very thinly sliced lengthwise
- Peanut oil
- 12 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for an hour
- ***
- TOMATO SALAD
- 1 ¼ pounds ripe tomatoes, mixed colors, preferably heirloom
- 1 red onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Flaky Maldon sea salt and black pepper
- ***
- salted roasted peanuts for garnish
Instructions
- For the Suya blend, start by crushing the Kuli Kuli in the spice grinder. Once you have a coarse powder, add the remaining ingredients, one by one. It might help to slice open the uda pods to help the breaking down process.
- The powder can be stored in a airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
- Add sliced short rib into a bowl. Combine meat and Suya spice with a bit of peanut oil. Mix well.
- Cover with plastic wrap. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- The next day, prepare the side salad. Slice tomatoes, discarding stems. Peel and finely slice onion. Arrange the vegetables on a serving plate. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Thread the marinated meat onto skewers and preheat the grill.
- Place the skewers directly over hot side of the grill and cook for 3 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for about 1-½ - 2 minutes.
- Transfer the skewers to a serving plate, and sprinkle with salted roasted peanuts.
- Rest the meat for 2–3 minutes, then serve with tomato salad on the side.
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