👨‍🍳🧑‍🍳 Happy Tuesday, Chefs!

This week, we’re celebrating Melissa Clark, queen of the deliciously doable dinner. From the Instant Pot to the air fryer to the trusty sheet pan, she knows how to make weeknight cooking feel easy, smart, and just fancy enough to impress the table.

Melissa is a cookbook author, New York Times food columnist, and weeknight dinner whisperer known for bold flavors, practical recipes, and the kind of cooking that makes you feel wildly competent by bite two.

Today, we’re spicing up meat skewers, sliding them under the broiler until smoky and charred, then serving them with cool yogurt sauce, bright lemon, and serious dinner-party swagger.

👇 Scroll for the skewers set to star all summer.

Cheers,
~thebacklabel crew🍷🔥

Recipe By: @melissaclark

🔥Fun Fact: Cooking on skewers dates back to prehistoric campfires, when meat met pointed sticks, open flames, and dinner became deliciously portable, fast, smoky, shareable.Ingredients

FOR THE SKEWERS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pound boneless beef sirloin or leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) cubes

FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE
1 cup plain full-fat yogurt or sour cream
Pinch Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or mint, or a combination
1 large red onion, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) chunks
Lemon wedges, for serving

Make the Marinade

1️⃣ If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for at least 1 hour so they don’t go full campfire under the broiler. Metal skewers can skip this step.

2️⃣ In a large bowl, mix the oil, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, and cayenne if you like a little heat.

3️⃣ Add the meat and toss until every piece is coated in that spiced-up magic. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Make the Yogurt Sauce

4️⃣ In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, a pinch of salt, garlic, and cilantro or mint.

5️⃣ Pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Cool, creamy, and ready to save the day.

Cook & Serve the Skewers

6️⃣ When it’s go time, set an oven rack about 4 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.

7️⃣ Thread the meat and onions onto the skewers, alternating as you go and nestling the pieces close together.

8️⃣ Place the skewers on the prepared baking sheet.

Chef Tip: If you’re using wooden skewers, wrap the exposed ends with foil to help keep them from catching fire.

9️⃣ Broil until the tops are browned and lightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes.

🔟 Using oven mitts, carefully flip the skewers and broil for another 2 to 4 minutes, until the edges are browned and charred while the meat stays rare to medium-rare inside, or medium if that’s your lane.

1️⃣1️⃣ Serve hot with the yogurt sauce and lemon wedges. Bright, smoky, creamy, done.

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