spiced beef rosemary skewers with yoghurt sauce

serves 4–6

10 woody rosemary stems with leaves attached (about 15 cm/6 inches long)

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) lean rump steak, coarsely ground

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

olive oil, for cooking

YOGHURT SAUCE

250 g (9 oz/1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt

2 garlic cloves, crushed

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Soak the rosemary stems in water for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

To make the yoghurt sauce, put the yoghurt, garlic and lemon juice into a bowl and stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Put the beef, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon into a bowl and use your hands to mix well until evenly combined. With well-oiled hands, take one-third of a cup of the mixture at a time and press it around a rosemary stem.

Preheat a chargrill plate or barbecue grill to medium–high. Lightly brush with oil and cook the skewers for 5–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until just cooked through. Serve immediately with a dollop of the yoghurt sauce on top.

These skewers make a great impression at parties, plus the rosemary stems impart a lovely flavour to the beef. Sometimes I substitute the beef for chicken instead.