Pinchos morunos is a typical Spanish tapa, especially on the menu in Andalusia. Pinchos morunos means “Moorish spears” and originates from the Moors who ruled the Iberian Peninsula for more than 600 years.
Pinchos Morunos can be made with a myriad of marinades depending on which bar or region of Andalusia you are in, but all are unmistakably inspired by a mix of North African and Iberian cuisine. These are spices such as saffron, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and cinnamon – spices that can also be found in the Moroccan mixed spice ras-el-hanout.
Here is the recipe for classic Pinchos Morunos, which comes from the cookbook “Tapas – classic Spanish recipes” by Per H. Jacobsen.
Recipe for Pinchos Morunos
Ingredients
800 g lamb meat
1 dl olive oil
1 lemon
4 cloves of garlic
flake salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili
1 tsp. saffron
How to do it
Cut the lamb into neat pieces of about 2 x 2 cm. Put the garlic and flake salt in a mortar and pestle and pestle to a paste. Add the spices, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well and toss the lamb in the marinade. Place the marinated lamb in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least three hours, preferably overnight. Turn the bag over occasionally.
Cut the end of some wooden skewers to fit your grill pan. Thread 5-6 pieces of meat on each skewer. Add olive oil to the grill pan and grill your skewers for 2-3 minutes on all four sides, or about 12 minutes in total. Serve the lamb skewers with alioli.
