Recipes

Beef Suya

By
Ozoz Sokoh

Published: 

Beef Suya (James Ransom)

Excerpted from Chop Chop by Ozoz Sokoh. Copyright © 2025 by Ozoz Sokoh. Photographs copyright ©2025 by James Ransom. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random HouseCanada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450 g) beef fillet, sirloin, or blade steak
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more for the grate
  • 1/3 cup (35 g) Basic yaji (recipe to follow), plus more as needed 
  • ½ cup (88 g) yajin kuli, for serving (recipe to follow)
  • Thinly sliced red onions Sliced tomatoes

For the Basic Yaji

Makes 1 scant cup (100g)

  • 1 tablespoon barkono 
  • 1 tablespoon alligator pepper seeds 
  • 4 whole uda pods 
  • 3 ehuru seeds, shelled
  • 3 whole cloves
  • ½ teaspoon whole uziza peppercorns 
  • 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon dry pepper 
  • 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

For the Yajin Kuli

Makes about 2 cups (175g)

  • 1 tablespoon alligator pepper seeds
  • 4 whole uda pods
  • 3 ehuru seeds, shelled
  • 3 whole cloves
  • ½ teaspoon whole uziza peppercorns
  • 1 cup (125 g) ground Ƙulīƙƙulī 
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dry pepper (see page 22)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt

Directions

  1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling so they don’t burn on the grill. Wrap the beef tightly in plastic wrap and place on a plate or small baking sheet. Freeze for 15 to 30 minutes, until the beef is partially frozen and firm to the touch.
  2. Unwrap the meat. With a sharp chef ’s knife, slice the meat against the grain into strips that are 2 inches (5 cm) long, 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, and ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. The easiest and most efficient way to do this is to start by portioning the beef into pieces that are 2 inches (5 cm) wide and 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and then cutting those pieces crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick (3 mm) strips. Put the strips of meat in a large bowl and drizzle the oil over them, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the yaji.
  3. Carefully toss and massage the yaji into the beef until the meat is evenly coated. Season with another 2 tablespoons of the yaji.
  4. Working with one piece of beef at a time, thread it onto a metal or wooden skewer, piercing each piece through twice to secure it, then spread the meat out on the skewer so it will cook evenly. Leave 2 inches (5 cm) of the skewer exposed at either end. Place the completed skewer on a platter and repeat with the remaining beef.
  5. Once all skewers are assembled, sprinkle the remaining yaji on both sides. Cover and refrigerate the skewers for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours before grilling.
  6. If using a charcoal grill, light a chimney starter full of charcoal. When the coals are hot and covered with gray ash, carefully spread them onto one side of the grill.
  7. If using a gas grill, set the burners on one side of the grill to high (leave the other side off). Cover and preheat for 5 to 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place the skewers on the grill over direct heat and cook for about8 minutes, turning them over once, until charred on both sides and cooked through. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 2 to3 minutes before serving. (Alternatively, let the skewers rest for 1 to2 hours, then reheat as needed.) Serve the skewers with the yajin kuli, onion, and tomatoes.

For the Basic Yaji

  1. In a spice mill, combine the barkono, alligator pepper, uda, ehuru, cloves, and uziza peppercorns.
  2. Grind the spices as fine as possible (you may need to do this in batches). Empty the ground spice mixture into a bowl and add the paprika, ginger, onion powder, dry pepper, salt, garlic powder, and sugar.
  3. Stir to combine, then transfer to a jar with a lid. Seal the jar and set aside to rest for 2 to 3 days, then regrind and pass through a sieve, discarding any larger bits.
  4. Return the spice blend to the jar and store at cool room temperature, away from light and heat, for up to 6 months, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 12 months.

For the Yajin Kuli

  1. In a spice mill, combine the alligator pepper, Uda, ehuru, cloves, and uziza peppercorns and grind. Add the ƙulīƙulī and grind again, as fine as possible. (You may need to do this in batches.)
  2. Empty the ground spice mixture into a bowl and add the paprika, ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, dry pepper, sugar, and salt.
  3. Stir to combine, then transfer to a jar with a lid. Seal the jar and set aside to rest for 2 to 3 days, then regrind and discard any larger bits.
  4. Return the spice blend to the jar and store at cool room temperature, away from light and heat, for up to 6 months, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 12 months.

NOTE: You can substitute 1½ cups (125 g) raw (defatted) peanut flour or peanut powder, which is available at grocery stores as well as bulk and health food stores, for 1 cup (125 g) ground ƙulīƙulī.