ESWATINI: Shisa Nyama Grilled Meat, Grilled Corn, and Avocado

I am a hypocrite. Or at least I behaved as one with this meal.

Many sites listed slaiai — a salad of avocado, ginger, lime, and peanuts — as an authentic Eswatini dish. It sounded amazing. Yet upon digging, I learned it was concocted by bloggers based on ingredients commonly used in Eswatini, then classified by later bloggers as authentic, which it is not. In Eswatini avocado is typically eaten plain with salt.

Yet, I took the spice rub commonly used to prepare Umcwembe, an Eswatini celebratory comprising grilled meats, pap, and condiments, and used it for grilled lamb chops. Lamb can be part of Eswatini Umcwembe, but less common than chicken, steak, or goat. Regardless, it was excellent! It paired fabulously with simple grilled corn and fresh avocado.

Shisa Nyama Grilled Meat

2 lbs bone-in chicken, goat or lamb ribs (cut into 2-bone sections), or beef cut of your choice

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1. Coat meat with dry rub. Let sit for 60 minutes.

2. Heat grill to medium. Place meat on grill and cook according to the following times

   1. chicken breast: 10–12 min per side (20–25 min total)

   2. chicken thigh: 0–13 min per side (20–26 min total)

   3. chicken drumstick: 25–30 min total, turning every 5–7 min for even browning

   4. lamb or goat ribs (2-bone sections): 6–8 min per side (12–16 min total)

Grilled Corn

4 ears corn on the cob, in the husk

Salt and butter to taste

1. Cut any long ends off of the corn. Soak in water 60 minutes.

2. Turn grill on high. Place soaked corn on grill and cover. Turn every 5-7 minutes, until charred all over and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

3. Peel and salt and butter to taste.

Avocado

2 avocados

½ teaspoon corse or flakey sea salt

1. Peel and core avocado.

2. Slice into half moons and lightly salt.

#grilling #meat #avocado #lamb #oneworldwhisk

FUN FACTS:

• Sibebe Rock in Eswatini is the world’s second-largest monolith (single piece of rock) behind Australia’s Uluru.

• King Sobhuza II, who reigned from 1899 to 1982 and spent 82 years and 253 days on the throne, is the longest-reigning monarch in world history.

• Under Swazi law, game rangers in Eswatini can shoot and kill poachers caught in the act.