71 replies to this topic

[Jason Perlow]

Jason: I'd like to hear more about Cauliflower Teriyaki! Sounds great.

This is really a very easy dish to make. Wash and clean the cauliflower, cut up into florets.

First, you steam or the cauliflower so that its par-cooked. Dry it off, throw in a big bowl.

Next, put one cup of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar and a tablespoon of sesame oil in a saucepan, add a shake or two of sesame seeds, a hit of Chinese rice wine, sake or mirin, and the chopped up whites of a bunch of scallions. Crank up the heat, reduce until the sauce sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.

Toss sauce with Cauliflower. Spread onto baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees in an oven or on top of your outdoor grill for about 20 minutes or until caramelized. Toss in the sauce every 5 minutes or so.

Edited by Jason Perlow, 29 July 2006 - 07:38 PM.

[Grub]

Seekh Kebab (Kofta; minced)

On the grill





Moody, no-flash grilling picture





All done, served up on a bed of cabbage, with the condiments around it: cucumber, a yogurt sauce with honey, mint and some Sriracha, red onions, and some extra Sriracha on the side for those who are easily bored.





Plated





And a gratuitous closeup



This was a sorta everything-but-the-kitchen-sink deal -- but then I said aw hell, and tossed that in that too... Methinks maybe I need to restrain myself a tad and try get back to the basics...

10% fat ground sirloin, roasted and ground coriander and cumin seeds, freshly ground cinnamon, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, minced ginger and garlic, chopped mint leaves and cilantro, grated red onions (drained and patted dry) and ground cashew nuts (both for taste, and as a binding material).

I cooked it over medium heat, which I think was a mistake -- the kebabs are so thin that they end up drying out by the time they get good grill marks. I should have used really high heat and a much shorter cooking period. Well, live and learn -- adapt and improve and so forth.

The bambo skewers I'm using are a little too narrow for my taste, but they are holding up amazingly well -- even the ones that have gone completely black at the tips are perfectly fine. I've just not managed to find and good, flat metal ones. I think metal would be easier to clean -- the bambo ones tend to end up with a lot of spots and markings, which tends to make me a little overzealous when I clean them, hehe.

Great cookoff subject, by the way.

[maher]

Had a bit of lamb on the grill today so thought id post the pics since the cookoff is kebabs and skewers. I only had the camera on my phone so sorry the images arent worthy of the usual food porn on eG.

Here are the skewers ready to go on the grill. From front to back, onions, cubed lamb fat (the heart healthy skewers), lamb shoulders marinated in yoghurt and coriander seed, and lamb tenderloin, with nothing but a little ground pepper.



On the grill:
from left to right, the lamb shoulder, chicken wings, and onions



the lamb tenderloin on the grill.



in this part of the world we use heavy metal skewers. i believe they do a good job of transmitting heat to the inside of the meat helping it cook faster, so you can have it medium rare on the inside with a nice crust on the outside.

sorry there are no pics of the finished product, but my friends descended en masse and i had to scramble for the last pieces by the time everything was off the grill.

[Pam R]

OK. I want to work on some Middle-Eastern inspired kebabs. But I've noticed almost all recipes either use yogurt in the marinade or are served with a yogurt sauce. While tasty, and something I'd eat at a restaurant, it's no-go in my kosher kitchen. I remember enjoying shishlik in Jerusalem, but for the life of me can't remember what was served with it.

I'm looking for alternatives to serve with it. Any suggestions? Something with Tehini? Or do I just need to make the meat itself tasty enough that it doesn't need a sauce?

[ludja]

OK.  I want to work on some Middle-Eastern inspired kebabs.  But I've noticed almost all recipes either use yogurt in the marinade or are served with a yogurt sauce.  While tasty, and something I'd eat at a restaurant, it's no-go in my kosher kitchen.  I remember enjoying shishlik in Jerusalem, but for the life of me can't remember what  was served with it.

I'm looking for alternatives to serve with it.  Any suggestions?  Something with Tehini?  Or do I just need to make the meat itself tasty enough that it doesn't need a sauce?

When I've had kebobs in Afghani restaurants they are often served with a hot red chile sauce similar to harrissa or a cilantro based sauce without dairy.

Here is a recipe for Afghan marinated lamb kabobs w/o yogurt
click
and a recipe for a cilantro sauce to go with the kebobs.

I'm thinking of making some Yugoslavian/Balkan cevapcici. These are also popular in Austria which is the only place where I've had them. They are oblong kabobs grilled on skewers that are formed out of a mixture of spiced ground meat. I think they are typically served with chopped onions, and either a yogurt or spicy chile sauce.

Edited by ludja, 30 July 2006 - 11:59 AM.

[Abra]

Could someone who's really good at shaping kebabs on flat metal skewers do a little photo essay on the shaping and grilling process, pretty please? The other night I made some delicious Turkish kebabs with ground lamb, soaked bulgur, lots of mint, and Aleppo pepper. They formed onto the skewers pretty well, and I got excited for a minute, but then they fell off the skewers onto the grill once again. I should add that I'm using the "don't touch the grill" method, where the ends of the skewers are elevated so the meat doesn't rest on the grill itself.

This is silly - people all over the world can make a ground meat kebab, why am I having so much trouble with it?

[Chris Amirault]

Good idea. Meanwhile: is the meat supercold when you put it on? If it's already warm then it's likely to fall off more quickly.

[Grub]

Could someone who's really good at shaping kebabs on flat metal skewers do a little photo essay on the shaping and grilling process, pretty please?

I'm not really good, but I've done it quite a few times now, and have learned a few things that helps -- had a looot of failures.

First off, as Chrisamirault says, it's more likely to fall off if the meat is warm. So after forming them, I always put the kebabs on a tray and leave them in the freezer for a while before grilling them -- (I let the kebabs touch the grid, so I put a paper towel over them while in the freezer, to soak up any moisture that forms and brush them with oil before grilling, to prevent them from sticking to the grid -- as well as heating the grid well, and oiling it too).

But the main "trick" trick is to work the meat a little; I mean, really squeeze it -- especially at the ends, since that's where they tend to fall off the skewer.

Using an egg or breadcrumbs as a binder obviously is somewhat un-authentic, but roasted cashews -- well, maybe it's unauthentic, but it works well and adds flavor too...

[Abra]

Ok. I have put the formed kebabs into the fridge before cooking, but I haven't been chilling the meat before forming, nor have I tried freezing the kebabs before grilling. Maybe I ought to be giving the meat a whirl in the KA, paddling it to a bind like we do with sausage? I'm always using lamb. but I assume that it's not the meat per se that's the problem.

Grub, I see you use flat bamboo skewers, maybe the meat sticks to them better? Who's using the flat metal Turkish skewers like the ones I have?

[maher]

ill try to do a photo step by step next weekend, but the main things you have to watch for are:

1. enough fat in the mix to bind
2. you have to beat it together enough to get it sticky. this isnt as much as you need to get a sausage bind, but close
3. supercold meat supercold skewers
4. keep dipping hands in ice water as you form the kebabs so meat sticks to skewer, not your hands.
5. i use heavy square metal skewers, you can see them in my post earlier in this thread.
6. when grilling, i start with four quick quarter turns so the outside of the kebab is seared. this prevents it from spilling and then you can grill it with only one half turn more.

ill try to get a feel for fat percentage, i am so used to making these that i eyeball it, but im guessing around 20-25% by volume which would be somthing like 35-40% by weight.

[Pam R]

OK. I have 1 lb. of ground lamb and 1 lb. of ground beef waiting to be seasoned. Any suggestions?

I was thinking of trying sumac... and what? I'd like to do something different with each.

I still don't own any metal skewers, but I'll make a stop on my way home to see if the store got any more in.

And hopefully the rain will stop long enough to grill tonight.

[Swisskaese]

OK. I have 1 lb. of ground lamb and 1 lb. of ground beef waiting to be seasoned.  Any suggestions?

I was thinking of trying sumac... and what? I'd like to do something different with each. 

I still don't own any metal skewers, but I'll make a stop on my way home to see if the store got any more in.

And hopefully the rain will stop long enough to grill tonight.

How about thyme with the lamb. Can you get fresh thyme?

You can serve it with tehina instead of yogurt and harissa. Here they serve them lots of different salads, hummous, tehina and harissa.

You can also season them with baharat. There are many versions of baharat. One of the ones I buy has black pepper, coriander, cloves, cumin, cardamon, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Edited by Swisskaese, 04 August 2006 - 11:43 AM.

[Grub]

Grub, I see you use flat bamboo skewers, maybe the meat sticks to them better?

I doubt it, but I couldn't be sure of it until I have a chance to make a comparison. What I really wanted were metal skewers, but I just couldn't find any. The bamboo ones are a little too narrow for my taste, but they were all I could find -- mind you, I've been pleasantly surprised by how well they've stood up to the heat.

[Abra]

Grub and Pam, I got the skewers on eBay about 6 years ago. There were tons of them available at that time. Just check something like Turkish metal skewer on eBay and I'll bet some will pop up.

Oh, baharat! Thanks for the reminder, Michelle. I love it, have some, and forgot to think about adding it to kebab.

Maher, thanks for that. It sounds like I should be treating it like a sausage, when instead I've been treating it more like meat loaf.

Mmm, I sense some perfectly-formed baharat kebabs in my near future.

[Pam R]

Thanks Abra! My local grocery store actually had a hook that said "metal skewers" marked on it last time I wanted them. The hook was empty though. I was going to swing by yesterday and see if they had them - but yesterday did not go as planned!

Which means today I will try again to get some - I may even have to go to my favorite kitchen store dangit!

It also means I didn't get my kebabs done last night - so I will try again tonight - but it's pouring outside - so it'll have to stop doing that.

Michelle, I like thyme. I don't think anybody else around here does though. I like the baharat idea ... this is going to be an adventure today! We'll see what I come up with, if the lightening stops!

[Chufi]

I posted these in the Dinner thread and then I realized.. they're kebabs! They belong here!

this is chickenbreast, marinated in buttermilk mixed with turmeric, freshly grated ginger, garlic and chillies and coriander. They were really good, juicy and full of flavor. Cooked on the stove on my grill pan.

[Pam R]

*sigh*

My kebab making turned into a comedy of errors. I had planned on making them for Shabbat dinner on Friday, but that didn't happen. Then I thought last night - but no. So finally tonight. I had no official plans - I didn't have to work - all set.

I mixed up two batches. One beef with (I think - though I can't be certain) salt, pepper, garlic, some chunks of bread, kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, sumac and a pinch of clove. No egg.

Second one was lamb and ended up with some lemon zest & juice, parsley, kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic and some chunks of bread - and some fresh mint.

I tried to find metal skewers. No go. I soaked some bamboo ones for about 3 hours and used two per skewer:

(sheesh. that's blurry. sorry)

Once they were formed - and they formed easily - I stuck them in the freezer for about an hour. When I was ready, I went out to start the gas BBQ ... umm. Should have checked the tank before I planned the meal. There was enough fuel to last about 5 minutes, so I slammed the kebabs on the grill, hoping they would pick up a little flavour. Meanwhile, I set the oven to broil . When the fuel went pffffft, I grabbed the kebabs and onto a baking sheet, under the broiler.

Ended up with these:

They look a little anemic - but I didn't want to overcook them! At this point they were just cooked and perfectly juicy - so not bad considering.

Dinner:

Some warm pita, one of each skewer, a simple tomato/onion salad and some Mejadara (from a packet! ). I also slapped a little tehini on some of the pita.

[C. sapidus]

Afghan lula kebabs, made with lamb, onion, chilies, egg, dill, cilantro, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. A mixture of beef and lamb is probably more traditional, but we had good ground lamb from the farmer’s market. I added some chorizo for the extra fat and flavor (definitely non-traditional).

After reading about folks having trouble turning the kebabs, I made a point to shake the kebabs loose from the grate before turning them with the metal skewer ring. It seemed to work well. I also formed the raw kebabs earlier in the day, and then refrigerated them until dinner. Dinners that can be made ahead are very valuable when family logistics get hectic.

This was my first time making formed kebabs, but won’t be the last.

[helenjp]

I keep meaning to post a photo of pork belly cube skewers with sage...I keep making them, but we keep eating them instead of photographing them.

I drop the cubes into a little vinegar and oil for a few hours, then rub in some salt and add crumbled dried sage, but in summer I alternate the pork cubes with fresh sage leaves. Grill. Eat.

[C. sapidus]

Kofta kebabs (ground lamb, ground beef, flat-leaf parsley, mint leaves, cinnamon, pepper, and salt). I refrigerated the kebabs for an hour, got the grill good and hot, and then the grill ran out of propane so I cooked the kebabs under the broiler. They turned out just fine – crusty outside, juicy inside.

Kebab construction note: kebabs formed on two bamboo skewers were much easier to turn compared with kebabs formed on flat metal skewers.

[Chris Amirault]

Whole Foods had a great sale on fresh, wild swordfish, of all things, which I haven't had in any form for years and years. I cubed the thick 1 1/2 lb steah, oiled and salted the cubes, let 'em chill for an hour, impaled them on soaked bamboo skewers, grilled them over very hot coals, and served them with this mango and cucumber salad. Fantastic.

[snowangel]

I'm running way behind on posting to this topic. We've had skewered meat several times in the last few weeks. It's fun to do, and the kids really enjoy skewering meat.

First, my skewers. I love these skewers; stuff doesn't roll around on them!



These were some cheap skewers in one of those plastic packages on a rack at the local supermarket. I've had them for what feels like forever.

First up, chicken breasts marinated in ancho chili powder, lime, garlic and some oil, along side a black bean and tomato salsa. Rave reviews.



Venison kebabs. Marinated the venison in Ruth Smith's Shish-ka-bob Marinade, courtesy of Smithy. This was very, very nice. The hot dogs were for my cousin's kids who only eat hot dogs and Kraft Mac and Cheese .



For my birthday, Paul and I were alone at home, so I got some beautiful scallops. Fish/seafood (outside of shrimp) are pretty fragile, so I tend to use two skewers. These were unadorned with anything before grilling. (We also had sweet corn with this meal.)



When we saw Peter at camp, he said that when he gets home, he want's to eat satay or some meat on a stick!

[scubadoo97]

last Friday I made beef satay and after looking at those gorgeous ground beef kabobs I have those slated for this Friday's family Shabbat dinner.

[C. sapidus]

Grilled lemongrass shrimp with nuoc cham dipping sauce from Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table. Details here (link).

[tejon]

I keep forgetting to take pictures. I've made satay, kebabs, and skewers since this cook off began - playing with a new grill, especially when it's so hot.

Here's what we had last night. Chicken marinated in soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and a bit of lime juice, then skewered up and grilled. The skewers are wide and flat and hold pretty much anything nicely, making things easy to turn.

[bigbrowncow]

Hope I'm not breaking the rules posting after the next cookoff has started.

Tandoori King Prawn prepared in my new home made tandoor!





And they tasted as good as they looked.

I'll post a bit more in the Indian cooking section.

Steve

[C. sapidus]

Hope I'm not breaking the rules posting after the next cookoff has started.

Nope, post any time. That's one of the nice things about cookoffs.

Tandoori King Prawn prepared in my new home made tandoor!

Steve: The shrimp look great, but I'm most intrigued by your home-made tandoor. Details, please!

[bigbrowncow]

Bruce - I've created a thread here to discuss the tandoor

http://forums.egulle...showtopic=92535

Steve

[scubadoo97]

Nothing says eGullut like building your own tandoor. 

What a great statement. I too am very impressed. Wonderful job Steve!

[maher]

well a week or two into this cookoff i promised to do a step by step guide to forming kebabs onto skewers. A mere two months later, i finally remembered to take pictures while making kebabs, so i figured better late than never so here it is.

i had a friend of mine take the pictures, and he had to be bribed with quite a bit of Arak to agree, so bear that in mind with the photoraphy...


First, the minced lamb, i had the butcher mince it fine, with a little added fat for binding. mixture is probably about 25%-30% fat.


here is my mise en place, (sounds a bit silly to say that with kebabs, but there is a first time for everything)

lamb, minced onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, allspice, olive oil and a bowl with ice water.


first you get as fine a mince into the onion as you can



a little olive oil helps




then you add the onions and parsley to the meat



you mix them, with salt, pepper, and allspice until you get them well bound. if you make any kind of sausage you need to just get to the binding stage




here is where the ice water comes in... you have to keep everything as cold as possible, i put the meat and skewers in the freezer for 15 mins beforehand, but my hands need to cooperate too.



once the meat is bound, you form it into a log and stick it in the freezer for a few more minutes, then you take a pinch and get it onto the skewer. i use heavy square skewers but if you cant find them, the flat metal ones work pretty well.



you form the meat into the kebab shape, and pinch the ends so it doesnt fall off. sorry the impact of the Arak is beginning to show in the focus of the pictures, but you get the idea.



you finish the skewer by genty rolling it in one hand while coaxing the meat into shape with your fingers. this is where the square skewer makes things a lot easier.



then you stick the skewers in the freezer fo ten minutes which helps them hold their shape, and you partake in some well deserved Arak, to catch up with your totally drunk friends.

With more Arak, and some mezze, you get the charcoal (lump of course) going and you have a fantastic time. of course with the amount of lubrication, you totally forget the photography you promised your egullet friends.

here is where the real value of Kebabs come in. a couple of them will steady the best drunk, and remind you what you need to do. by this time, your prize perfectly formed kebabs are all eaten, and you have to show the grilling with the misshapen kebabs that you did not grill yet. Nonetheless, this is a project that is too far along to be abandoned, so here they are... the unloved, the rejected, the last kebabs, on the grill with some lamb chops.



and a final out of focus shot of a finished kebab. i cant blame anyone for this other than myself and the Arak. ... thats right i can blame the Arak...





so if this was at all useful, it is all my excellent work. if it is a crudely photographed mess, please direct your complaints to the Arak company. i dont make the stuff, i only drink it...