This suya recipe gets you close to what the mai suya sells off the grill at night: thin beef, heavily coated in a peanut and spice rub, cooked hard and fast over coals and finished with more of the same dry spice while it is still hot.
Serves 4. About 20 minutes cooking, plus marinating.
What suya is
Suya is grilled, spiced meat sold on the street across Nigeria and much of West Africa. In the north it is called tsire, in the south suya, and in parts of Sudan agashe. The seller is the mai suya, and the meat is usually beef, though ram, chicken, kidney and liver all turn up.
The whole dish rests on the rub. It is built on ground peanuts with spices worked through it, and it does two jobs: it seasons the meat and it forms the crust. Which is why a good suya recipe spends more time on how the spice goes on than on anything else.
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef sirloin or flank, sliced very thin
- 3 to 4 tbsp Jeb Foods suya seasoning
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced, to serve
- 2 tomatoes, sliced, to serve
- Shredded cabbage, to serve
- Wooden or metal skewers
Method
- Slice the beef as thinly as you can, across the grain. Firming it in the freezer for 20 minutes first makes this much easier.
- Toss the slices in the oil. The oil is there to give the spice something to hold onto.
- Coat the beef generously with the suya seasoning. Keep a tablespoon or so back for the end.
- Leave it to marinate at least 30 minutes. Overnight in the fridge is better.
- Thread the beef onto skewers, weaving it along rather than bunching it up, so the heat reaches all of it.
- Grill over high heat, or under a hot broiler, 3 to 4 minutes a side until the edges char.
- Sprinkle the reserved dry seasoning over the meat the moment it comes off the heat. This is the step that makes it taste like street suya.
Tips
- Thin is everything. Thick suya steams instead of charring and the crust never forms.
- High heat, short time. Suya is not slow cooked.
- Soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes so they do not burn through.
- Do not add salt separately until you have tasted. Most suya blends are already seasoned.
Variations
- Chicken suya: use thigh rather than breast, it stays moist.
- Ram suya: the northern favourite, and worth it if you can get it.
- Kidney and liver: sold alongside beef at most suya spots.
- Vegetable skewers: peppers, onion and mushroom take the rub surprisingly well.
Choosing the meat
Suya wants a cut with a bit of chew and a bit of fat. Sirloin and flank are the usual choices because they slice cleanly and stay juicy at high heat. Rump works. Fillet is a waste of money here, because the spice and the char are doing the work, not the tenderness of the cut.
Ask the butcher to slice it for you if you can. A butcher with a slicer will get it thinner than you will at home, and thinner is better every time.
- Sirloin: the easiest to work with and the most forgiving.
- Flank: more flavour, but slice it strictly across the grain.
- Rump: cheaper, good if sliced thin enough.
- Chicken thigh: the best of the non-beef options.
Questions people ask
What is in suya spice?
Ground peanuts and a blend of spices. Ours is hand blended and freshly ground, with no chemicals, additives or MSG.
Can I make suya in the oven?
Yes. Use the broiler on its highest setting, with the shelf near the element, and turn the skewers halfway.
How spicy is it?
It varies by blend. You control the heat with how much you use and whether you serve extra pepper on the side.
What do you serve with suya?
Raw sliced onion, tomato and shredded cabbage, wrapped in paper. Nothing else is needed.
How long should suya marinate?
Thirty minutes is enough to season it. Overnight is better for flavour. Beyond a day the spice starts to draw water out of the meat and the texture suffers.
To serve
Serve straight off the grill while the crust is still crisp.
Contains peanuts.