Sipi (Tongan Grilled Mutton Flaps)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Charcoal or gas grill with two heat zones
• •Long metal tongs
• •Rimmed tray for marinating and carrying the meat

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim with sense

   Lay out the sipi, the Tongan word here for sheep or mutton, and trim only the loose ragged fat. Don't strip it clean. The fat is why this cut survives the fire and turns crisp at the edges, so leave enough to baste the meat as it cooks.

2. 2

   Mix the marinade

   Stir the soy sauce, lemon or lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, grated onion, black pepper, and chile if you're using it. It should taste salty first, sharp second, a little sweet behind that. This is everyday Tonga now, the pantry that came through trade and got worked into the local fire.

3. 3

   Marinate the sipi

   Turn the mutton flaps through the marinade until every piece is glossy and coated. Cover and chill at least 2 hours, or overnight if the pieces are thick. Give it a turn once or twice so the onion and garlic don't sit in one corner doing nothing.

   If the mutton smells strong, blanch it 5 minutes in simmering water, drain it well, then marinate. No shame. Eat what you have, just handle it right.
4. 4

   Ready the fire

   Set up a charcoal grill or gas grill with a hot side and a cooler side. Oil the grate lightly. You want the first contact hot enough to crisp the fat, but you need a gentler side too, because mutton flap can burn outside before the chewy parts relax.

5. 5

   Grill and turn

   Lift the sipi from the marinade and let the extra drip off. Grill over the hot side 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning often as the fat renders and the edges go dark and crisp. Move pieces to the cooler side whenever flames lick too hard, then bring them back to finish. The good sign is a mahogany glaze, charred edges, and meat that bends when you pick it up with tongs.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest the grilled sipi 5 to 10 minutes so the juices settle back into the meat. Serve it family-style with boiled talo, the taro root, or manioke, the cassava root, plus sliced onion, lemon or lime wedges, and chile. The starch catches the fat and salt. That's the plate.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for mutton flaps with meat still on them, not just slabs of fat. You want enough fat to crisp and baste, but enough meat to chew.
• •Cook over fire if you can. A grill pan works indoors, but the fat wants open flame and space, so use strong ventilation and expect splatter.
• •Boil talo or manioke until fully tender and serve it plain. The starch is not decoration, it balances the salt, fat, and char.
• •Don't keep brushing sugary marinade over the meat once it is on the hot side. It burns quick. Use the marinade for soaking, then let the fire do its work.
• •Leftover sipi is good chopped into fried rice or tucked beside eggs the next morning. We no waste good food.

Advance Preparation

• •Marinate the sipi up to 24 hours ahead; the salt and onion settle into the meat and the grill goes faster.
• •Boil the talo or manioke earlier the same day, then warm it gently before serving.
• •Slice the onions and cut the citrus wedges before the meat hits the grill, because once the fat starts rendering you need your hands on the fire.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)