THE MEATS:
- Approximately 1.5 to 2 kg of leg of lamb.
- Roughly 1 kg of medium-fat pork.
- You’ll need 12 to 16 good-quality dried apricots.
THE MARINADE:
- Begin with about 3/4 to 1 cup of medium-sized onions, finely sliced.
- You’ll need some oil for frying.
- Crush 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds.
- Choose either 5 bruised bay leaves, 12 bruised lemon leaves, or some julienned lemon zest for that zing.
- Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Mix in 1 tablespoon of mild curry powder.
- Opt for either 1 teaspoon of ground ginger or go bold with a heaped tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.
- Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of ground allspice.
- Sweeten the deal with 6 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- Don’t forget 1 tablespoon of cornflour.
- Balance it all with 2 teaspoons of salt.
- Now, for the liquids: pour in approximately 3/4 cup of white vinegar (grape or wine vinegar) and 1/2 cup of top-notch dry red wine.
- Add 1 tablespoon of fine apricot jam.
- Mix in 4 crushed and chopped garlic cloves.
- To round it off, pour in 1/2 cup of milk. You might need 1/2 cup of water, but that’s optional and may not be required.
To prepare the MARINADE, start by cooling it down completely. Grab a big pot for this.
Next up, fry those onion rings in some oil until they turn a lovely light brown. Give ’em a stir every now and then.
While those onions are sizzling away, let’s whip up the dry mix. Grab a bowl and combine the crushed coriander, all those aromatic spices, brown sugar, cornflour, and salt. (If you’re keen on using a generous tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, toss it in with the garlic and other liquids. I usually put all the liquid ingredients, including the jam, garlic, and fresh ginger, in a bowl or measuring jug).
Once those onions hit that delightful light brown, mix in the dry blend. Fry it up for about a minute to let those flavors sing. Add a splash more oil if needed, and make sure those spices don’t catch.
Lower the heat, and bring in the liquids: vinegar, wine, apricot jam, grated ginger (if you’re going all out), and garlic to your taste. You can also throw in some lemon or bay leaves or julienned lemon peel if you fancy it. (Totally optional).
Stir it all together and let it simmer gently until it thickens up nicely.
Now, taste it carefully: the sauce should strike a balance between tangy and spicy, not too acidic or too sweet. Adjust by adding a bit more vinegar or lemon juice, or perhaps a touch more sugar. (Remember, the cook’s gotta taste and fine-tune!). And trust me, those 6 tablespoons of sugar are just right. We’re aiming for tangy, not acidic!
Let that sauce cool down, then stir in the milk and a bit of water. You want it to coat the back of a spoon nicely. If it feels too thick, add a tad more water and mix well. Leave the sauce in the pot while you prep the meats.
Now, let’s get to the meats! Cut the lamb off the leg and slice it into hearty, bite-sized chunks – not too small. Do the same with the pork. The pork should have a bit of fat on it, and a good ratio is about 2 parts lamb to 1 part pork. (But if you’re not a fan of pork, feel free to skip it).
The quantities of apricots, onions, and skewers can vary depending on how much meat you’ve got from the lamb leg and how much you load onto each skewer.
Speaking of skewers, thread those meats on them, mixing up the different ingredients. Aim for about 2 apricot halves and 2 onion rings on each skewer, with the lamb chunks taking center stage.
Grab a rectangular glass or ceramic dish (Tupperware works too, but avoid metal or stainless steel), and layer in those meat skewers. Don’t forget to coat each layer with that delicious sauce. I usually take the pot of sauce, roll each sosatie skewer in it, and pack them into the container. Once all the skewers are “sauced,” pour any leftover goodness over the top. Seal it up nice and tight and pop it in the fridge.
You’ll likely have 2 to 3 layers of skewers in there. To make sure they all get that saucy goodness, flip the container upside down once a day.
Let it chill in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before digging in. These sosaties just get better with time and can hang out in that sauce for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
