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Kabab Koobideh

Kabab Koobideh

cooking.nytimes.com
Popular street skewers found all over Iran, koobideh are traditionally made using either ground beef or lamb flavored simply but impactfully. This recipe calls for three seasonings: grated onion, sumac and salt. The word “koobideh” is derived from the Iranian term for “to beat,” referring to the way in which the meat is prepared. Aggressively working and mixing the ground meat to form a cohesive mixture helps when it’s time to form the meat onto the skewers. Baking soda helps to keep the meat tender, while using 80 percent lean ground meat will keep the koobideh moist. When grilling the kababs, 1-inch-wide flat metal skewers work best to hold the meat. But, you can also shape the meat mixture directly on parchment paper if you don’t have metal skewers. Grilling over charcoal yields the best results, but cooking in the oven will also work well. Serve koobideh with steamed basmati rice or sabzi polo, grilled plum tomatoes and fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill and tarragon. A squeeze of fresh lime juice doesn’t hurt either. 
  • Preparation:
  • Cooking:
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  • Serves: 4 persons

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    Use a box grater set directly on your cutting board to coarsely grate the onion. Through a clean kitchen towel or a fine-mesh sieve, squeeze out and discard the juices from the grated onion, then transfer to a large bowl with the ground beef, sumac and baking soda. Season with 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt and mix well to combine. (If you’d like to check the salt level or seasonings for this or other raw meat mixtures, pull off a pinch and pan-fry it until cooked through.) You really want to work the meat to form it into a sticky paste. This helps to keep the meat from falling off the skewer as it cooks. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

  2. Step 2

    Light a charcoal grill. Divide the meat into 6 equal-sized balls and procure 6 metal skewers that are well over 12 inches long (depending on the size of your grill) and at least 3/4-inch wide. (Standard thin skewers will not work here, but you can usually purchase these wider flat skewers at the hardware store or online.) Working with one ball of meat at a time and using wet hands, form the meat around the skewers into long, flat 10-inch koobideh that are no more than 1/2-inch thick. Press the meat between your thumb and index finger to make several shallow indentations about 1 inch apart down the length of the koobideh. Pinch the ends of the meat onto the skewer. Repeat with the remaining meat. (If you don’t have skewers, divide the meat into 10 equal-sized balls and form the meat into 6-inch lengths, pressing them until about 1/2-inch thick on a piece of parchment paper. Then, turn them out onto a greased rack fitted on a sheet tray, making sure they are evenly spaced. Proceed to Step 4.) 

  3. Step 3

    If cooking these in the oven, proceed to Step 4. If using the grill, remove the grates and heat on high. Rest the skewers on the grill over the heat source, suspended by the tips of the skewers. (Alternatively, lay two flat metal pipes about a skewers’ length apart and parallel to each other on the grates. You can get these pipes from the hardware store too. This will prevent the meat from sticking to the grates and allows the koobideh to be flame-licked by the charcoal.) After 30 seconds, turn the skewers. Keep turning them every 30 seconds for 2 to 3 minutes, then continue cooking until the meat is charred and cooked through, about 3 minutes more. 

  4. Step 4

    If using the oven, heat it to 500 degrees. Place the sheet tray with the koobideh in the oven and cook, flipping after about 7 1/2 minutes, until charred all over, about 15 minutes total. 

  5. Step 5

    When the meat is cooked, transfer the koobideh to a platter on top of the lavash. Use the lavash to help remove the meat from the skewers by wrapping it around the koobideh and pulling the skewer from the meat. Brush the meat with the butter, then sprinkle with more sumac and serve with lime, if using.
NY Times
cooking.nytimes.com