Men and skewers — what a combination! And one with a long history. Back in the Stone Age, strong, hungry men brought down mammoths with great spears, pulled salmon from rivers and caught small game with them. So why not use this ingenious tool for cooking as well? Especially as it makes pots and pans redundant. That, presumably, is how our ancestors saw it, and little has changed about this simple principle since. Except that mammoths have died out, and meat and fish can be picked up conveniently from the local butcher or pre-packed at the supermarket.
Culinarily speaking, skewers have sadly fallen somewhat out of fashion. A few years ago, meat skewers were still a more common sight on restaurant menus and in Swiss households. Hard to understand, really, because skewers can be loaded with whatever you like, and there is almost nothing you can get wrong. Whether you spear meat, vegetables, fish, sausage or tofu makes no difference. Your own taste sets the pace — and that is what counts.
Skewers are international. Plenty of countries have dishes threaded onto wooden or metal skewers. Think of hefty, boldly spiced shashlik skewers, elegant little yakitori skewers from Japan or piquant satay skewers with peanut sauce from South-East Asia. And of course the humble cervelat on a stick belongs in this category too.
In our view, skewers deserve a comeback — in kitchens, on grills and on dinner tables! Our recipes make the case: the juicy spit for tacos al pastor, which is roasted in the oven after marinating and, when serving, simply carved off with a knife and tucked into corn tacos. Together with avocado, plenty of chilli and coriander, it makes a glorious feast. There is also a recipe for the good old döner, guaranteed to taste like the one from your favourite kebab shop, and an Asian version that brings back holiday memories.
Döner
Skilled craftsmen with the right equipment can make an XL spit themselves. Failing that, your trusted metalworker will help. What you need is a cast-iron base plate measuring around 20 x 20 centimetres, with a 20-centimetre spike (also cast iron) welded to its centre.
A large döner spit calls for 1 kg of beef and 500 g of lamb. Both ideally well marbled with fat, so the spit stays nice and juicy after roasting in the oven. For the beef, shoulder is recommended; those after something finer should order prime rib. Leg of lamb, boned by the butcher, tastes fantastic and slices beautifully. Cut both meats into thin slices, flattening the pieces firmly with the base of a small pan if need be. Now blitz 3 tsp of salt, some black pepper, 2 tbsp of paprika, 1 tbsp each of dried thyme and oregano and 1 tsp of cumin to a powder in a blender. Add 1 onion and 2 cloves of garlic along with 1 red pepper, cut into pieces, and purée to a paste. Mix it thoroughly with 100 g of yoghurt, 2 tbsp of tomato purée and 1 dl of olive oil. Rub the pieces of meat with the marinade and leave them in the fridge, ideally overnight. Thread the pieces onto the spit and roast in a 200-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Carve the meat off all the way round with a sharp knife and serve with tomatoes, raw onions, yoghurt and — kebab-shop style — “with hot sauce”. Serves 6.
Tacos al pastor
Serves 6. Preparation: approx. 30 minutes. Marinating: approx. 6 hours or overnight. Roasting in the oven: approx. 40 minutes.
Ingredients: 1.5 kg pork neck, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp cumin seeds; 2 tsp annatto or achiote powder; 2 tbsp mulato chilli powder; 2 tbsp chipotle or morita chilli powder; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 0.5 dl pineapple juice; 3 tsp salt; ½ pineapple, sliced, approx. 700 g.
Method: Mix all the ingredients up to and including the salt, cover and marinate in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight. Layer the meat onto the spit, alternating with the pineapple slices. Baking: roast in the middle of an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and let it rest for 5 minutes. Carve off thinly all the way round with a sharp knife.
Asian skewer
The spicy, punchy variant for 6 goes like this: slice 1.5 kg of boneless chicken thighs in half horizontally. Remove the skin first and set it aside. Important: chicken thigh meat is wonderfully juicy and tastes more exciting and intense than the rather dull breast. Best to order boned chicken thighs from your local butcher and make sure the birds come from nearby — from chickens raised healthy and happy.
Roughly chop 2 stalks of lemongrass and put them in the blender with 3 tsp of salt, a good chunk of ginger, 4 tbsp of sesame oil, 2 small, very hot bird’s-eye chillies and 2 shallots, chopped. Add ½ dl of coconut milk and blend until fine. Mix with the chicken and marinate in the fridge overnight. Thread the meat onto the spit and roast in a 200-degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, placing the chicken skin on a separate tray alongside. It is important that the chicken is cooked right through. Carve the meat off all the way round and serve with steamed jasmine rice, sweet-and-sour pickled cucumber pieces and the crispy chicken skin.
This article appeared in MEN issue 2/22 (November 2022).
