Global Grilling

Intriguing international flavors spice up skewers

RECIPES BY MARCUS BAWDON

EGGPLANT SATAY WITH SPICY ALMOND DIPPING SAUCE

Grilling food on sticks over fire may be as age-old as cooking gets, but it’s still a favorite around the globe. Turn to these “sticks” to brighten up your barbecue routine this summer. Rubs and marinades made with intriguing international spices are a great way to layer rich flavors in these kebabs, skewers or satays—or whatever you like to call them. In his new book, “Skewered: Recipes from Around the World for Fire Food on Sticks,” author Marcus Bawdon draws on his travel experiences to create flavor-packed recipes that deliver a taste of far-flung places, including these highlighted here. Cheese adds a savory coating on the South American favorite Pork Loin with Parmesan Crust. A coffee and cumin spice rub lends delicious flavor to short rib skewers that give a nod to our own corner of the world. The Egyptian topping, dukkah, adds crunch and a bit of spice to sweet honey and cumin-glazed chicken, and you’ll be surprised with the great “meaty” results from a Far East-inspired miso-marinated eggplant with a spicy almond dipping sauce. —Mary Subialka

Eggplant Satay With Spicy Almond Dipping Sauce

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

I could easily have opted for a chicken satay skewer recipe as it’s a classic, but I wanted to do something a bit different with the nutty sauce that usually accompanies the chicken, so I decided to experiment with a “meaty” miso-marinated eggplant. The results blew me away, so I knew I had to include this recipe in the book.

1 eggplant 1 teaspoon white or red miso paste 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon soy sauce freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lime ½ teaspoon mild red pepper flakes sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Spicy Almond Dipping Sauce 4 teaspoons almond butter 2 tablespoons coconut milk (scoop out the creamy part at the top of the can) freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lime 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce pinch sea salt pinch red pepper flakes

1. Soak small wooden skewers in water. 2. Cut the eggplant into ¾–1¼-inch cubes. 3. In a bowl, mix together the miso paste, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add the eggplant chunks and leave to marinate in fridge for an hour or two. 4. Set your grill up for moderate heat grilling. 5. Make the Spicy Almond Dipping Sauce. Place ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly to combine. 6. Place the marinated eggplant cubes onto soaked wooden skewers, 3 cubes on each. Grill the skewers for a few minutes, then turn occasionally every couple of minutes to build up a nice medium char. The eggplant should start to soften (but don’t let it go too soft or the cubes will fall off the skewer). Total cooking time should be 10 to 12 minutes. 7. Drizzle with a little of the Spicy Almond Dipping Sauce, and place a little sauce by the side to dip the skewers in. Serve with jasmine rice and freshly chopped cilantro, if desired.

PISTACHIO DUKKAH AND HONEY CHICKEN SKEWERS

Pistachio Dukkah and Honey Chicken Skewers

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Dukkah is a wonderfully crunchy Egyptian topping that works so well with this sweet honey and cumin-glazed chicken, adding a lovely textural contrast and a hint of spice.

For the Pistachio Dukkah 4 tablespoons shelled pistachios 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 pound 2 ounces chicken breast 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons cumin seeds coarse sea salt

1. Set up your grill for moderate-to-hot cooking. 2. In a small skillet over the coals, toast the dukkah ingredients lightly for a few minutes, then smash up with a mortar and pestle or blitz briefly in a food processor, but don’t make them too fine. Set aside. 3. Cut the chicken breast into 1¼-inch cubes, load onto flat metal skewers and season lightly with coarse salt. 4. Grill the chicken over the coals for a few minutes on each side until just starting to char slightly. Place the honey and cumin seeds in a small pan to warm through (keep an eye on it as the honey will quickly caramelize and burn if you aren’t careful) and brush onto the chicken using a silicone pastry brush. The chicken is ready when cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F with a digital probe thermometer and caramelized. 5. Sprinkle generously with the pistachio dukkah and enjoy hot.

Short Rib Skewers with Coffee Cumin Crust

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

You can make this skewer with plenty of different cuts of steak, but I wanted a robust steak with a bit of fat that I could crisp up and a cut that could handle the spicing of the dry rub. Ask for the short rib meat for the tenderest cut. That said, other cuts such as rump cap would be a great alternative to this, as would something like flat iron. The key with any of these cuts is to not overcook them past medium, otherwise they will toughen up. My ideal is between 127 and 140°F (medium-rare and medium), as it makes them stay nice and juicy and tender. The coffee cumin spice rub packs a real flavor punch.

1 (about 2¼ pounds) beef short rib

For the Coffee Cumin Rub 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon demerara sugar 2 teaspoons instant coffee 1 teaspoon garlic granules

Peach and Chipotle Mayo, to serve (recipe right)

1. Set up your grill for low-to-moderate heat coals. 2. Make the Coffee Cumin Rub by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. 3. Cut the beef into pieces approximately 1¼x 1¼x4 or 5 inches. 4. Thread the beef onto flat metal skewers, ideally piercing each piece twice by curving the fatty side around the outside to face one way. Sprinkle the rub evenly over the meat. 5. Place the skewers on the grill over the coals and cook for about 14 to 16 minutes. You want them to caramelize on the outside and for the fat to crisp up but not burn. Turn them frequently so they cook evenly but do not flare up. Use a digital probe thermometer to check the internal temperature. When it is about 130°F, take them off the heat. The temperature will go up a degree or two while you rest them. 6. Serve with Peach and Chipotle Mayo and some flavorful rice on the side.

Peach and Chipotle Mayo

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

I love to tinker with combinations of ingredients for sauces, glazes and marinades. Often, you place two ingredients together and they just work in harmony. I found that with sweet peaches and chipotle. The sweetness of the peach is perfectly balanced with smoky heat. This recipe is simple to prep as it uses canned peach slices and chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. You have a choice whether to keep this as a simple salsa or to whisk into a mayonnaise to make it creamier. It’s very versatile.

6-8 ounces (about 1 small can) canned peach slices in syrup (reserve 4 tablespoons of the syrup) 3 ounces canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (drained weight) 10 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (optional)

1. Set aside one of the peach slices and half a chipotle. 2. Place the remaining peach slices and chipotles into a pitcher and blend with a stick blender, adding the reserved peach syrup. Taste and you should have a nice salsa. If, however, you want to turn it into a delicious peach and chipotle mayo, then stir through the mayo and spoon into a serving bowl. 3. Finely chop the reserved peach slice and chipotle half and scatter the pieces over the top of the bowl to serve.

SHORT RIB SKEWERS WITH COFFEE CUMIN CRUST

Pork Loin with Parmesan Crust

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

I love this recipe and brought the big guns out for it—my 3-foot-long churrasco skewers—and cooked the meat over apple-wood embers. It is certainly a grand skewer, but quite simple to make. The herb baste really makes this dish shine and the Parmesan crust gives a wonderful extra savory element that is unexpectedly good.

For the Herb Baste leaves picked from a handful each of fresh rosemary, thyme and flat-leaf parsley 2 garlic cloves, peeled 5 tablespoons good-quality extra virgin olive oil freshly squeezed juice of ½ a lemon 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt 1 anchovy fillet

1 pound 9 ounces pork loin with ¼–³⁄8 inch of fat on it 2 tablespoons coarse sea salt 11⁄3 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Make the Herb Baste first. Blitz all the ingredients in a pitcher with a hand blender or in a food processor. Set aside for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. 2. Set your grill up for moderate to high heat embers. 3. Cut the pork loin up into 1¼-inch cubes, then thread these onto long, thick metal skewers, making sure the fat all faces the same way. Season with the salt. 4. Place the skewers on the grill over the embers and cook for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally until the surface of the pork is brown. Give the fatty side a little extra time to help it to crisp up. Using a silicone pastry brush, occasionally brush over the herb baste throughout cooking. 5. Use a digital probe thermometer and, once the pork hits 140°F internal temperature, evenly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the pork, leave for a few minutes so it starts to melt, then turn the cheesy side to the heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese forms a crust. Serve alongside some grilled chorizo and a nice glass of Malbec. Editor's Note: If watching sodium content in your diet, adjust the salt measurement as desired to reduce sodium level in this recipe. 

PORK LOIN WITH PARMESAN CRUST

RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM “SKEWERED: RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR FIRE FOOD ON STICKS” BY MARCUS BAWDON © 2021 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM DOG ‘N’ BONE.

EGGPLANT SATAY W. SPICY ALMOND DIPPING SAUCE:

PER SERVING: CALORIES 220; FAT 9g (sat. 3g); CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 820mg; CARB 34g; FIBER 10g; SUGAR 23g; PROTEIN 6g

PISTACHIO DUKKAH & HONEY CHICKEN SKEWERS:

PER SERVING: CALORIES 250; FAT 8g (sat. 2g); CHOL 95mg; SODIUM 940mg; CARB 12g; FIBER 1g; SUGAR 9g; PROTEIN 31g

SHORT RIB SKEWERS W. COFFEE CUMIN CRUST:

PER SERVING: CALORIES 610; FAT 47g (sat. 20g); CHOL 190mg; SODIUM 1040mg; CARB 4g; FIBER 0g; SUGAR 2g; PROTEIN 45g

PEACH & CHIPOTLE MAYO:

PER SERVING: CALORIES 270; FAT 26g (sat. 4g); CHOL 15mg; SODIUM 370mg; CARB 8g; FIBER 2g; SUGAR 7g; PROTEIN 0g

PORK LOIN W. PARMESAN CRUST:

PER SERVING: CALORIES 510; FAT 37g (sat. 12g); CHOL 120mg; SODIUM 3810mg; CARB 3g; FIBER 0g; SUGAR 0g; PROTEIN 39g