Masikita

Ingredients

Meat

• 1 kgzebu beef
• or any lean beef, in 2 cm cubes
• some fat left on

The marinade

• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 3cm ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoonsoil
• 2 tablespoonssoy sauce
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 teaspoonground turmeric
• 1 teaspooncurry powder
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper
• 1 teaspoonsalt

To grill

• small bamboo skewers
• soaked in water
• charcoal

To serve

• a hot pepper relish
• sakay
• lemon wedges
• bread or rice

Directions

1. Oil and sometimes lemon go in with them. Cut the beef into small even cubes. Aim for about two centimetres. Take some time over the cutting. Trim off any hard sinew or gristle. Leave the soft fat on the cubes. Fat renders and helps the meat.
2. Put the crushed garlic in a bowl. Add the grated ginger to it as well. Add the oil, soy sauce and lemon juice. Add the turmeric, curry powder and pepper. Add the salt and stir it together. Combining it takes only a moment. Put the beef cubes into the marinade. Turn them so they are all well coated.
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it. Give it at least two hours to marinate. Put the bamboo skewers in cold water. Let them soak for thirty minutes. Dry bamboo catches fire over charcoal. Thread the cubes onto the soaked skewers. Put about four or five on each one. Spaced out pieces dry on all sides.
4. Keep them small as they are sold. Wait until it is covered in grey ash. That is what these skewers need. Hold your hand above the grill to judge it. You should not be able to hold it long. Lay the skewers on the hot grill. Give them about three minutes. Turn them all over with tongs. Give them another three minutes.
5. Brush them with the leftover marinade. Stop basting for the last two minutes. Take them off while still juicy inside. Let the skewers sit for two minutes. Do not rest them long or they cool.
6. Pound chillies with garlic and ginger. Add oil and a squeeze of lemon. Add salt to the relish to taste. Hot chillies leave oils on the skin.
7. Wash hands and boards thoroughly. Serving them is always done straight from the fire. Pile the skewers onto a plate. Serve the sakay alongside them. Serve bread or rice with them. They must be eaten hot from the grill.

Technique

• The pieces are cut very small and the skewers kept short, which is characteristic: small cubes cook through fast, which suits a stall turning food out quickly, and each skewer costs little so people buy a handful rather than one.
• Zebu is leaner and firmer than European beef, so leave some soft fat on the cubes and trim only hard sinew; the fat keeps the lean meat moist while sinew stays tough however you cook it. Take them off while still juicy, since lean beef dries out quickly.
• The leftover marinade has held raw meat, so brush it on only early in the cooking and stop for the last two minutes so the heat cooks what you applied — or boil it first.

Substitutions

• Any lean beef stands in for zebu, the humped cattle central to Malagasy life.
• Sakay, the pounded chilli, garlic and ginger relish, is served with almost everything.

Variations

• The name comes from the Swahili mishkaki, carried across the Mozambique Channel.
• Soak bamboo skewers for thirty minutes so they steam rather than catching fire.
• Wait for the charcoal to be covered in grey ash rather than grilling over flames.

History

Small zebu skewers grilled over charcoal on street corners; the name echoes Swahili mishkaki, carried across the Mozambique Channel.

Frequently asked questions

What is Masikita?

Masikita is a street food from Madagascar: tiny zebu skewers grilled and eaten by the dozen. Small zebu skewers grilled over charcoal on street corners; the name echoes Swahili mishkaki, carried across the Mozambique Channel.

How long does Masikita take to make?

Masikita takes 25 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 15 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Masikita?

Yes, within limits. Any lean beef stands in for zebu, the humped cattle central to Malagasy life. Sakay, the pounded chilli, garlic and ginger relish, is served with almost everything.

What is the most important thing to get right in Masikita?

Brush them with the leftover marinade. Stop basting for the last two minutes. Take them off while still juicy inside. Let the skewers sit for two minutes. Do not rest them long or they cool.