Tsire or Suya

If you live in Northern Nigeria you may know it as tsire. In the south it is suya. Either way it is the most delicious morsel of meat on a skewer you have ever eaten. This is another street food, which you can find cooking over an open fire in the marketplace, or sold from a roadside stand.

These thin strips of beef are coated with peanut butter, hot red peppers and spices. You can grill them until they are deliciously charbroiled, or you can broil them in your oven.

Ingredient list

• 1 lb (500 grams) top round or sirloin steak, preferably a long, thick cut
• 1 ⁄ 2 cup smooth, unsweetened peanut butter (125 grams)
• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground powdered ginger
• 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 Tablespoons lime juice

Preparation

1. Slice steak against the grain into strips, about 1 ⁄ 4 inch wide and as long as possible.
2. In a shallow glass pan, mix peanut butter, red pepper, salt, ginger, peanut oil and lime juice until it forms a smooth paste. Rub each meat strip with marinade until thoroughly coated. Use your hands for this - it is messy but far easier. Return meat to the glass pan, cover and refrigerate several hours.
3. Soak wooden or bamboo skewers in cold water for at least one hour before using.
4. Thread meat on skewers accordion style. Do not bunch up the meat strips - leave them stretched long on the skewer.
5. Grill or broil strips 15 to 20 minutes until meat is cooked through and coating bubbles. Turn once during cooking.

Makes about 10 tsire.