With the peanuts and spices, I guess these kebabs are the African equivalent of Indonesian satay. Except here the peanuts are ground to a powder and rubbed all over the meat rather than turned into a dipping sauce. The chicken stock cube may seem like an odd addition, but it’s really authentic and suya just wouldn’t be suya without it.
Note: you will need to begin this recipe the day before you want to eat, if you wish to marinate the beef overnight.
For the suya rub, place the peanuts in a dry frying pan and set over a medium heat. Toast until a deep golden colour, about 3 minutes, then tip into a spice mill. Pulse until ground, but take care not to over-pulse or they will turn into a paste. Tip the ground peanuts into a bowl and stir through the chilli powder, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, crumbled stock cube, paprika and salt. You want the suya rub to be an evenly mixed powder.
Sprinkle the suya rub on to a large flat plate and roll the beef strips in it, covering them as evenly as possible in the spices. Set on to a plate, cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or overnight if you have time. Discard any leftover rub as it has been in contact with raw meat.
When you are ready to cook, thread the beef on to the skewers and drizzle over a little oil. Fire up your barbecue or griddle pan until hot. Cook the skewers for about 8–10 minutes, turning regularly, until deeply coloured on the outside. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice.
