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Kilishi

Ingredients

Steps

  1. 1Slice lean beef into very thin, wide sheets, trimming away as much fat as possible.
  2. 2Lay the beef sheets out on raised wire racks or mats and dry them under the sun or over a low fire for several hours, until they become firm and leathery.
  3. 3Grind roasted peanuts into a fine, oily paste and mix it with ground ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of ground cloves to make a thick spice paste.
  4. 4Brush the dried beef sheets generously on both sides with the peanut spice paste, coating them evenly.
  5. 5Return the coated beef to the racks and dry it again in the sun, or briefly over open flame, until the spice coating sets and dries onto the surface.
  6. 6Once fully dried, quickly pass each sheet over an open flame or hot coals for a short time, just enough to lightly toast and char the spice coating without burning the meat underneath.
  7. 7Let the kilishi cool completely before handling, at which point it becomes firm, chewy, and intensely savory.
  8. 8Break or cut the dried spiced beef into smaller pieces and sell it wrapped in paper, a popular snack found at roadside stalls and markets across northern Nigeria.

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