Mishkak
After sunset on the beach at Qurum and around the souq in Muttrah, Muscat, mishkak sellers fan their charcoal and the smell of tamarind and garlic drifts across the crowd; at Eid every family grills them at home too. Small pieces of beef or lamb are soaked in a sour-hot marinade, threaded tightly on skewers and charred quickly, then eaten with a squeeze of lime, a hot chilli sauce and Omani bread. The meat is tangy, smoky and juicy. The common mistake is cutting the pieces too big, so the outside burns before the middle cooks. Chef's tip: thread the meat closely without squashing it; the pieces protect each other and stay juicy.









