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BBQ & Grill

Beef Suya Tacos

Suya, grilled skewers of thinly sliced meat spiced with ground peanuts, ginger and chiles, originated with the Hausa and Fulani people in northern Nigeria, but they are now a popular street food, wrapped in newspaper to go, throughout the country. Nigerian American chef Simileoluwa Adebajo, owner of Èkó Kitchen in San Francisco, created this dish one day when she sliced suya hot off the grill and placed them in fresh tortillas made by a friend with a cooking school in Mexico. For the best flavor, Adebajo recommends making your own tortillas, but here we use store-bought for simplicity.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds beef chuck roll or rib-eye steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup suya spice plus 2 tablespoons, divided (see tip)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated onion
  • 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cameroon pepper (see tip)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup roasted peanut oil
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 18 medium corn tortillas, warmed
  • 1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
  • 2 large plum tomatoes, diced
  • ½ large red onion, diced
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

  • Place beef in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup suya spice, granulated onion, granulated garlic, Cameroon pepper and salt. Add oil and massage the mixture into the beef with your hands. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 12 hours.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat broiler. (If broiling, put a baking sheet on the top rack to heat for 5 minutes.)
  • Whisk sour cream, lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons suya spice in a small bowl. Add water, if needed, to thin to a sauce-like consistency.
  • Grill or broil the beef until lightly charred, 4 to 8 minutes. (If grilling, flip the beef halfway.) Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the beef into bite-size pieces. Serve the beef in tortillas with the sauce, cabbage, tomatoes, onion and cilantro.