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Ingredients
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Kebabs
Hawaij Pepper Marinade
Finishing & Serving
Method
Kebabs
- 1
Prepare pepper crust
Place the black and white peppercorns in a mortar and lightly crush with a pestle to a coarse texture (or use a spice grinder pulsed briefly). Mix in the sumac (if using) and 1 tsp kosher salt; set aside.
- 2
Trim and cut beef
Trim excess fat and silver skin from the filet mignon. Cut the beef into 1 to 1 1/4 inch cubes for kebabs (about 8–10 pieces per pound). Pat cubes dry with paper towels.
- 3
Coat with peppercorns
Toss the beef cubes lightly with the crushed peppercorn mixture so each piece gets an even coarse crust. Press the pepper gently into the surface of the meat. Transfer to a platter and let rest 10 minutes while you make the marinade to allow flavors to adhere.
Hawaij Pepper Marinade
- 4
Combine marinade
In a small bowl whisk together 3 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, ground cumin, ground black pepper, ground cardamom, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, ground ginger, honey (or date syrup), lemon juice, chopped cilantro and parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt until homogeneous.
- 5
Marinate kebabs
Using a brush or by tossing, lightly coat the pepper-crusted beef cubes with the hawaij marinade so the spices cling to the crust without washing it away. Marinate at room temperature 20–30 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature 20 minutes before cooking.
Finishing & Serving
- 6
Skewer or pan method
If using skewers, thread beef cubes leaving a little space between pieces. For pan-sear, skip skewering.
- 7
Sear kebabs
Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until smoking point is near. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. When butter foams, add skewers or beef cubes in a single layer without crowding. Sear 1.5–2 minutes per side for medium-rare (adjust time for thickness and desired doneness), turning to create an even crust from the peppercorns and hawaij spices. Avoid moving too frequently so crust develops.
- 8
- 9