MENU
 
 
 
 

  • Traditional South African Lamb /MuttonSosaties

    1 vote
    Traditional South African Lamb /MuttonSosaties
    Prep: 60 min Cook: 20 min Servings: 6
    by Peter Brown
    100 recipes
    >
    This is the best Ive seen. Found it on FOOD .com by Zurie "Sosaties are not kebabs. They're lamb meat on skewers, but they marinate in a distinctive sauce with a traditional flavour. They are never made from beef, but from lamb or tender mutton. (Maybe it should be added that S A lamb, probably because of their grazing, is really delicious, and in some parts herb-scented, because of the bushes they eat!) Most people prefer to use pork cubes as well, when making sosaties, although it's not essential. Sosaties are not plonked into any old curry sauce and then grilled. As this is a traditional recipe, there are many slight variations, but the basic meat should be lamb or mutton, and the sauce is a curry-type sweet-sour sauce infused with Malay spices. (The Cape Malays, also Indonesians, who now prefer to be called Moslems, came to the Cape as slaves and as political refugees from Ceylon, in the days of the Dutch East India Company, and brought with them their wonderful cuisine and spices, and this became mixed up with the Dutch cuisine of the 17th century.). Sosaties is also one of those pioneer foods which can last for ages in its sauce, so don't leave it in the sauce for a night. Leave it for at least 3 days to infuse the meats with the sauce flavours. Grill over medium coals, don't burn, and don't let it dry out! You won't be sorry you've done this job ."..

    Ingredients

    • 3 -4 lbs mutton /Lamb leg
    • 1 1/2 lbs medium fat pork
    • 12 -20 dried apricots, good quality
    • 6 small onions, such as pearl onions about the size of a small plum, peeled and each onion cut crosswise into 2-3 th
    • 12 -16 wooden skewers
    • The marinade
    • 2 medium onions, cut into fine rings
    • oil (for frying)
    • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed
    • 5 bay leaves or 12 lemon leaves, bruised
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon curry powder, mild
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, heaped
    • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
    • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon cornflour
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 3/4 cup white vinegar (grape or wine vinegar)
    • 1/2 cup dry red wine, good quality
    • 1 tablespoon apricot jam, fine
    • 4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup water (may not be needed)

    Directions

    1. 1 Cut the meat off the leg of lamb, and cut into bite-sized chunks, not too small. Do the same with the pork. The pork should have fat on it, and the best ratio of lamb to pork is about 2 - 1. (If you dislike pork, leave it out).
    2. 2 The number of apricots, onions and skewers given could vary, as it will depend on how much meat you cut off the lamb leg, and how much meat you put on a skewer.
    3. 3 Using the ingredients for the MARINADE, fry the onion rings in oil until light brown. Stir now and then.
    4. 4 While that fries, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl: the crushed coriander, all the spices, the brown sugar, the cornflour and the salt.
    5. 5 When the onions are light brown, stir in the mixed dry ingredients, and fry for a minute or so to release the flavours. Add a tiny bit of oil extra, if necessary, but do not let the spices burn.
    6. 6 Turn heat lower, and add the vinegar, wine, apricot jam, and garlic to taste.
    7. 7 Stir well and simmer slowly until thickened.
    8. 8 Now taste carefully: the sauce should neither be too acidic or too sweet, just spicy and tangy. Adjust by adding either a little more vinegar or lemon juice, or more sugar. (In any old recipe the cook knew that at some stage she had to taste, and adjust!).
    9. 9 Cool the sauce, and stir in the milk. It must be of a coating consistency. If you think it is too thick, add a little water and stir well.
    10. 10 The meats: the meats should be strung on the skewers, alternating the different ingredients, with about 2 apricot halves and 2 onion rings per skewer. The lamb chunks should predominate.
    11. 11 Using a rectangular glass or ceramic dish (you could use Tupperware but not metal or stainless steel) pack in the skewers of meat, and cover every layer with sauce.
    12. 12 Maybe you have one layer of skewers if your dish is large, maybe you have to stack them. Whatever the case, turn the sosaties in the sauce about once a day, and make sure the sauce coats the meat well. It will not exactly cover the meat, just coat it.
    13. 13 Cover and keep in fridge for 2 - 3 days before use. The sosaties will improve with time and can be kept up to 5 days in the sauce.
    14. 14 Grill as explained in the introduction. Goes well with traditional yellow rice or basmati, or potato salad and a mixed green salad.

    Similar Recipes

    Leave a review or comment