Rwanda

Grilled Beef Brochettes


-1 ½ lb. tender beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
-½ onion, chopped into big pieces
-½ onion, minced
-5 fresh Roma tomatoes, crushed, or ½ can crushed
-½ small can tomato puree
-1t salt
-Pili-pili chilies (in absence of pili-pili, you can use Tabasco or
some cayenne, or even minced jalapeno, but it will not be as authentic! You can also order
pili-pili oil online)
-Vegetable oil
-Skewers

1) Heat a little oil in a small saucepan and sauté the minced onion
for about 5 minutes.
2) Stir in the Roma tomatoes, pili-pili or Tabasco, jalapeno or
cayenne to taste, salt, and the tomato puree. Add water and about a
tablespoon more oil to make a medium-thick sauce (if it’s too thick,
it will taste like a tomato brochette—if it’s too thin, the brochettes
won’t turn a nice reddish color). Remove from heat and allow to cool a
bit.
3) To prepare the brochettes, take a skewer and alternate between one
piece of meat and 2-3 flakes of the chopped onion.
4) Brush vegetable oil over the brochette and lay skewer over the
grill. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn and brush the sauce on the brochettes
2-3 times while roasting. Brush oil on brochettes again once or twice
more. Remove from grill when brochettes are just cooked through, about
7 minutes total.
5) Serve with potatoes and with a pile of salt and chopped pili-pili
in oil, or any hot chili oil.