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1
Prepare the charcoal until it reaches maximum, even heat with no visible flame — the coals must be white-ashed and radiating full intensity before any skewer is placed. This is not a gradual process; the sear must be immediate on contact.
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2
Thread the lamb onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers in strict alternation: one cube of fat, one cube of lean, repeating so that fat accounts for at least 30% of the skewer. The fat cubes must sit between each lean piece — this is the self-basting mechanism, not a garnish.
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3
Place the skewers 5–7 cm above the coals. The dish lives or dies at this distance and heat: too far and the fat merely warms rather than renders and drips, depriving the skewer of its smoke; too close and the fat ignites without basting the lean. The moment the skewers are laid down, browning must begin within seconds.
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4
Turn the skewers every minute for a total of 8–10 minutes. After each turn, baste with oil and apply cumin, chili flakes, and salt to the exposed face — both sides must receive seasoning across multiple turns. The application is generous and assertive, not a dusting.
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5
The skewers are done when the lean is cooked through with a firm but yielding resistance when pressed, the fat is fully rendered and lightly charred at its edges, and the cumin and rendered fat together produce a deep, roasted fragrance rising from the coals.