Harissa and Yoghurt Beef Skewers
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking, America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats.
These beef skewers follow the same hot-and-fast grilling method as a classic kebab, but the beef is marinated in a homemade harissa paste loosened with Greek yoghurt instead of a lemon-oregano marinade, then served meat-only with the remaining harissa as a dip.
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Method
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Why it's healthy
46.8 g protein for 422 kcal = 11.1 g per 100 kcal. Our High Protein label needs at least 10 g per 100 kcal. How we decide
Equipment
- barbecue or ridged cast-iron griddle pan
- 4 long metal skewers (or wooden skewers soaked 30 min)
- tongs
- instant-read probe thermometer
- large bowl
- plate and aluminium foil
- small dry frying pan
- pestle and mortar or spice grinder
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 422 kcal |
| Protein | 46.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.9 g |
| of which sugars | 2.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 23.2 g |
| of which saturates | 5.4 g |
| Fibre | 2.1 g |
| Salt | 2.13 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
11.1 g meets the High Protein rule (≥ 10 g)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Harissa
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes use half for a milder paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
Beef
- 800 g beef sirloin (or rump), trimmed, cut into 3.5 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp thick Greek yoghurt
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
To serve
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, to loosen the dip
- 1 tbsp coriander or parsley leaves, to scatter
- 1
Toast and grind the caraway. Toast the caraway seeds in a small dry frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant and nutty, then crush them coarsely with a pestle and mortar. Toasting briefly over direct heat brings out the seeds' oils; take the pan off the heat before adding anything else so the next spices don't scorch.
- 2
Make the harissa paste. Off the heat, stir the paprika, chilli flakes, cumin and coriander into the warm pan for about 20 seconds, letting the residual heat wake up the ground spices without burning them. Tip into a bowl and mix with the garlic, tomato purée, lemon juice, olive oil and the harissa salt to make a thick, brick-red paste.
- 3
Marinate the beef. Spoon about half the harissa (roughly 4 tbsp) into a bowl with the yoghurt and the beef salt, add the beef and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. The yoghurt's acidity and clinginess help the paste coat the meat evenly, so it chars nicely on the grill instead of sliding off.
- 4
Make the dip. Stir the remaining harissa with the lemon juice in a small bowl until loosened to a dip-like consistency, then leave at room temperature until needed. This uses up the other half of the paste, so there's a punchy, spiced sauce ready for serving.
- 5
Thread and heat. Thread the marinated beef onto the four skewers, leaving the pieces just touching rather than squeezed together. Heat the barbecue or griddle pan over high heat until very hot before adding the skewers, so the surface sears quickly.
- 6
Grill the skewers. Grill for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until the edges are nicely charred and a probe thermometer in the centre of the thickest cube reads 63°C. The yoghurt and paprika in the marinade colour and darken quickly, so lower the heat slightly if the outside blackens before the centre reaches temperature.
- 7
Rest and serve. Rest the skewers under foil for 3 minutes so the juices settle back through the meat. Scatter with coriander or parsley and serve with the harissa dip alongside.
Storage
Keep leftover beef and dip in separate covered containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the beef gently until piping hot throughout (74°C); the dip is best served cold or at room temperature and isn't suitable for reheating. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
