How is Nyama Choma Made?

I come from a culture where a lot of meat handling, from slaughtering to grilling or roasting is handled by men. Luckily, unlike other cultures, as a woman I got to witness the process from a tender age. My first actual meat grilling was in my mid 20s in my flat when I bought an oven. Proper outdoors grilling has also happened enough times at intimate BBQ parties. At first it was hard to penetrate the obscure masculine territorial barricade around the grill, but I have my ways and have since bagged a few valuable tricks. Here goes:

What You Need

• Charcoal grill

If you don’t already own one, choose one that suits your budget and grilling needs. I recommend the Char Griller E2123 Wrangler 635 charcoal grill/smoker. It is versatile with a barrel-style outdoor grill and smoker. Besides its exceptional barbecue grill features, you will appreciate its ample cooking surface area an durable construction. If you are in Nairobi, you can get a customized charcoal grill from the Jua kali artisans in the nearest market. Muthurwa is a good place to start looking. 

• Charcoal starter

Or a matchstick/lighter. Get creative with starting the fire, you shouldn’t have any trouble as it’s an innate ability passed down to us from our ancestors.

• Charcoal briquettes or lumps

Lump charcoal is more popular than briquettes in Kenya. However, briquettes are a better choice as they offer constant heat and longer burn times, perfect for the medium-low heat required for nyama choma. 

• Digital instant read meat thermometer

This is an indispensable tool in a grilling professional’s shtick. It helps you cook your meat/steak to your preferred doneness. Unless you are a pit master, a thermometer will save you from inflicting your limited skills to the populace.

• Seasoning

Nyama choma will still retain its credibility if you only used salt to season the meat. The Maasai put nothing on the meat before roasting it and meat is on their menu everyday, that should tell you something. In the famous words on Anthony Bourdain, ”good food, is very often, even most often simple food.”

• Meat

Goat, beef, steak, ribs, whichever animal or parts you choose, ensure they are fresh. A solid social network of trusted butchers will be handy in getting high-quality meat. If you know no one important walk to the market with confidence and examine the cut meat carefully. Choose beef with a dry surface and deep red color. It should also have fine fat fibers (fine marbling) for tenderness and juiciness. Kenyans have a thing against the fat fibers, they call it mafuta and always request the butcher to remove it. It is one of the many healthy dietary choices we make as a nation.

Ingredients List

You may vary the ingredients to suit your taste preferences. The most basic ingredients you will need for the grilling/choma process are;

• Meat/Steak
• Kosher salt to taste
• Marinade or BBQ rub (optional)

3-Ingredient Nyama Choma Marinade

If your palate struggles to register deliciousness in the absence of food flavor enhancements you are free to make a simple marinade that does not overpower the great natural flavor of meat. My favorite marinade constitutes;

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• I teaspoon dried thyme or rosemary (1 tablespoon if using fresh herbs)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Note: The quantity of  the marinade ingredients are suitable for 2-3 lbs (1-1.5 kg) of meat or steak.

Directions

Preparation Steps

1. Prepare the marinade (optional). Add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
2. Prepare the meat. If marinating the nyama choma, do it a night prior and store it in the fridge for maximum flavor and aroma absorption. If not, remove the meat from the fridge and season it with salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes so that it can cook faster and more evenly. If the meat is fresh from the market or farm, brine or marinate it and let it sit for 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Fire up the grill. For the best grilling results, your grill needs to be as hot as possible; anywhere around 650° F (343°C). Load up the chimney then use a charcoal starter or whichever means you have to start a fire. Wait for the charcoal to ash before damping it in the grill. We want the charcoal white hot. Spread the charcoal all over the grill or stash it on one side to have direct and indirect heat.

   Replace the top grill grate then let it heat up. Cover the grill and ensure all the vents are fully open 

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Grill the meat

You may add some more seasoning before placing the meat on the grill. It will add a wonderful texture and crust on the outside. Place the meat on the hottest part of the grill grate, above the coals. Sear it for 2 minutes then do a quarter turn (rotate it at 90 degrees) before putting it back down. Avoid placing the meat where it was before because it is now cooler.

Allow the meat to sear for another two minutes then flip it and repeat the procedure for the other side.

When satisfied that the meat is properly seared, move it to the warm side with no coals then close the charcoal grill’s lid to continue cooking it to your desired doneness. You don’t have to flip the meat when cooking indirectly. If you are cooking a thin meat cut, especially steak, you may not need to cook it further after the searing.

Step 2: Check if the meat is ready

The moment for your digital instant-read thermometer has come. Use it to check the meat’s temperature while still on the grill. Generally, the internal temperature of beef should be 145°F (63°C) for it to be safe for consumption. Cook it to your desired level of doneness as long as it is above the safety standard. For steak, a rare doneness should be 130°F (54°C), medium rare 135°F (57°C), 145°F (63°C) for medium, 150°F (66°C) for medium well, and 160°F (71°C) for well-done.

Step 3: Remove the meat

When you are sure the meat is done to your preference, remove it from the grill and place it on a chopping board. Use aluminum foil to tent it then let it rest for at least five minutes before serving.

Charcoal Grilling Pro Tips

• You don’t have to close the grill when cooking a thin meat cut.
• When checking for doneness using a thermometer, keep in mind that the meat’s temperature will increase by a few more degrees when you remove it from the grill because of carryover cooking. The temperature of the meat will transfer from the outer layer inwards and continue cooking it.
• Resting the meat a few minutes before serving allows the redistribution of juices making it nice and tender.
• Dry brine the meat before cooking for maximum juiciness and great flavor. Use regular salt or a rub that contains salt to dry brine. The salt draws water from the meat, the water dissolves the salt and gets reabsorbed.