Kavaplar — Uyghur lamb shashlik

Trim 800 g of lamb of any sinew and cut it into pieces about 3 cm; leave the natural fat streaks intact, don't trim them off.

Slice the onion into thin half-rings and add to the lamb along with 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground chili pepper; mix well and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining salt, ground cumin and ground chili pepper for sprinkling over the meat while grilling.

Thread the marinated meat onto metal skewers, alternating leaner pieces with fattier ones; leave the onion from the marinade off the skewers.

Light the charcoal and wait until it turns to glowing embers with no high open flame; place the skewers directly over the hottest spot.

Grill the kavaplar for 8–10 minutes, turning the skewers often, until the lamb is evenly browned outside and fully cooked through. While turning, sprinkle the meat a few times with the cumin, chili and salt mixture.

Remove the kavaplar from the heat and serve immediately, hot, right on the skewers.