When Clark lived in Beijing as a student, one of his favorite things to do was to get a group of friends together and ride bikes to the legendary Roast Meat Restaurant, situated in an ancient part of Beijing overlooking a small pond where old men fished. The first floor of the restaurant was crowded and noisy with drop-in business. The upstairs dining room overlooked the pond and had a huge inverted wok upon which tender morsels of meat would sizzle. In the center of the spacious room sat an old pot-bellied stove, and over the fire was a double boiler with a ceramic bottle of Xiao Xing wine, China’s dark and heady version of our more familiar sake.

The marinade in this recipe evokes the style of the food at Roast Meat Restaurant. The skewers used for this brochette are basil stems left to dry over the winter. When the meat is grilled, they give off great flavor.

Although there are many ingredients in the marinade, it’s easy to make. Be sure to start a day ahead or the marinade won’t be nearly as good. For a dipping sauce, put out rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili paste; tell your guests to mix them together as the Chinese do.

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