Chef John's Kofta Kebabs
I'm excited to share what is one of my all-time favorite things to grill. This is perfect for those times when you want to take a break from grilling burgers, but you also kinda want a grilled burger, since this is basically a Mediterranean-style meatball on a stick. I know "shish" gets more love, but "kofta" might be the best kebab. Serve over a tomato, onion, and cucumber salad with flatbread or pita and a lemony tahini dressing.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1slice whole grain bread, toasted
- ½medium yellow onion, diced
- ⅓cup chopped Italian parsley
- 4cloves garlic, minced
- 8ounces ground beef
- 4ounces ground lamb
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½teaspoon ground allspice
- ½teaspoon paprika
- ¼teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2tablespoons water
- 4bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour
Instructions
Step 1
Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.Step 2
Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.Step 3
Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined.Step 4
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.Step 5
Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.Step 6
Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.Step 7
Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve.