North African Lamb Kebabs

Always looking for good lamb dishes for Easter.  Recently we went down to visit family in Charlottesville Virginia for Easter and ate at a North African restaurant.  They had the most fantastic lamb, served in many different dishes.  And their hummus was out of this world.

Here, I reverse-engineer their North African lamb kebabs, and hope I have found at least an essence of their wonder.  These are fantastic, and if you love lamb - try them!
1-1/2 to 2 lbs boneless lamb, cut into 12 ~2-inch cubes
1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 16 ~1/8-inch slices
12 3-inch pieces favorite thick-cut bacon (I used applewood smoked)

Marinade:
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp Sumac Middle Eastern Spice (see note) spice
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp tamarind extract paste
2 Tbsp canola oil

Slather sauce:
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp canola oil

crushed red pepper flakes for garnish

Toss the lamb and the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix together well with tongs or your fingers.

Let marinate for at least 2 hours, or ideally, overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

If marinating overnight, return lamb cubes to room temperature when ready to cook. If using wood, soak six 8-inch wooden skewers in water. Heat grill to high. Whisk together the slather sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Half-wrap each skewer with a strip of bacon. Alternate the wraps, left and right. Skewer 3 cubes of lamb on a skewer, capped and separated by a slice of carrot (or other veggie if using).

Grill over medium-high heat, turning often. Cook until lamb reaches 130F for medium-rare (or to your taste), when measured by an instant read thermometer. Remove lamb kebobs from grill and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes on a plate, covered with aluminum foil.

Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and serve kebabs over couscous or other favorite grain.

Serves 4.

Cook’s Note: You could use many other veggies for the separator between the cubes, like onion, or peppers. Or you could omit this and be just fine.

Sumac (don’t worry - not poison sumac) is a species in the Rhus genus of flowering plants. Their red fruit lead to a dark maroon powdered spice often used in Middle Eastern cooking. Sour and aromatic - much like lime or lemon tend to be, it adds a sharp flavor note, and red tone to dishes. It is certainly not a MUST in this dish, especially as pomegranate is used. But it is a great flavor enhancer.