Lamb sosaties

Serves 10

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 8 - 24 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes

A sosatie is a South African kebab with a sweet curry flavour. The vinegar in the marinade tenderises the meat and really does make a difference to the cooked lamb

Ingredients
2 kg lamb leg, deboned and cubed to roughly 3 x 3 cm
3 tbsp oil or butter  
4 onions, 2 finely chopped and 2 cut into half and then each half cut into quarters lengthways so you have petals, try to keep together as these will be threaded onto the skewers 
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely 
2½cm ginger, peeled and grated  
3 tbsp curry powder  
1 tbsp turmeric  
500ml brown vinegar  
450g apricot jam  
1 tbsp salt  
280g dried apricots - I like Whitworths 

Equipment needed 
10 skewers  

Method
Fry the onions in the oil over a medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until they are soft and starting to go golden.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the curry powder and turmeric, and fry for another 2 minutes. 

Add the apricot jam and stir until it melts.  Stir in the vinegar and salt and heat until boiling.   The fumes from this will not be overly pleasant but this won't take long and makes such a difference to the meat.  Ensure the jam is melted.  Remove from the heat and let the marinade cool down to room temp.  This will take a good few hours  

Once the marinade has cooled, place the cubed meat and the marinade either into a large foodbag or non metal bowl.  Ensure the meat is thoroughly coated in the marinade.  If using a bowl, cover with clingfilm. Marinate for at least 8 hours or up to a few days in the fridge. 

Light your braai (bbq) and while the coals are burning down to a bed of white hot coals make your skewers. Exactly what will go on to your skewers will be determined by the length of your skewers but generally I put a piece of meat, a dried apricot, a slice of the onions, a piece of meat, another piece of onion, another piece of meat, another apricot and finish on a piece of meat.  If you don't like apricots leave them off or replace with peppers if that is your thing. Apricots however go so well with the curried lamb. 

The sosaties need to be cooked over HOT coals so as soon as the flames have stopped and your coals are white you should put them on.  The coals will be too hot to hold your hand over for more than a second or two.  

Cook for around 10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes. I say around because this is going to depend on how hot your coals are and how you like your meat cooked.  If you like medium rare try a piece of meat from the middle of one of the skewers at the 8 minute mark and cut it open.  If you like your meat well done then you would probably even stretch to 15 minutes.   

If you want to cook inside then preheat your grill to hot and cook under the grill, turning every 2 or 3 minutes as above until the meat is cooked to your liking.

- Recipe from Braai by Jan Braai