Kebabs, Satays, & Skewers--Cook-Off 24

[ellencho]

... and on the bottom are kofta kebabs made with beef, onion, spices and herbs.

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Those look fantastic -- those are the kind of kebabs I TRY to make. Please, could you share the recipe? What kind of beef, spices and herbs? Cilantro? What kind of skewers do you use for those -- flat ones (I've always got problems making the meat stick to the skewers, so I use some flat bambo skewers)?

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I've never made this recipe with anything other than flat metal skewers, but I have a feeling it would be a pain to get this meat to stick around a regular round thin bamboo skewer. But, if you can't get your hands on flat metal skewers I bet you could just make flat patties and grill them like you would a burger.

Makes six kebabs

1 lb (~1/2 kilo) lean ground meat of your choice

one large onion, finely minced

1/2 total cup of minced herbs (I used 1/3 mint and 2/3 parsley)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1 pinch cardamom powder

1 pinch of cinnamon powder

Mix thoroughly, and allow to chill in the fridge for an hour. Before grilling, separate into six servings and then load it up onto your skewers or form into patties. When the grill is hot, lube up the grates with some cooking oil. Grill at high heat until they're cooked to your liking.

[Grub]

Ellencho, thank you so much! I'd never thought of using mint or cinnamon. I'll definitely try this recipe next time around -- which should be soon.

[FoodMuse]

I'm looking forward to posting more of my kebab exploits.

ellencho: I really like your recipe. Thank You! I look foward to making it. Yes! mint and parsley, now I just need to buy some good flat metal skewers.

spaghetttti: amazing photo. I will have to work hard for my food to look that glistening and delicious. :>

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

For dinner tomorrow I'm marinating 1lb pork bits with a little yogurt and about a 1/4 cup of Patak brand Tikka Masala paste and a 1/4 cup cilantro. I'll grill it up and serve it with a lime/cilantro/mint chutney from my Madhur Jaffrey cookbook and a simple cucumber raita.

-Grace

Edited July 28, 2006 by FoodMuse (log)

[ChefCrash]

This is from last Sunday's picnic at Fox lake in mid Michigan.

Lamb shoulder is my favorite meat for sheesh kabobs. Very tender and has plenty of fat for flavor.

Served with grilled Portabellas, hot banana peppers, Hummus, pickled Turnips and a parsley onion and sumac salad. Arak to drink.

Close up.

Today we got these beautiful Lebanese sausages "Maqaniq" from Detroit. Served with fries, balsamic cucumbers and Tarator (Hummus without the Hummus).

[purplewiz]

For tonight's dinner (was supposed to be last night's but I got started too late) I made a riff on kofta kabobs using the herbs and spices I had around that sounded good.

To 1 lb of ground beef I added a bunch of chopped mint, a tbsp of dried oregano rehydrated in 1 tbsp water, a mess of garlic salt, some more garlic in the form of powder, ground cumin, sweet paprika, and a mess of black pepper. Mixed it well and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Tonight I portioned the meat into 16 "mini meatballs", and threaded them on double presoaked wooden skewers with pieces of onion alternating (because I forgot to chop and add an onion to the meat mixture):

Presoaking for multiple hours didn't do one bit of good. They were on fire about 3 minutes into cooking. Fortunately, I have a Super Soaker and very good aim, so I kept shooting out the flames.

I served them on whole wheat tortillas (went to three stores yesterday and NO ONE had any pitas - are they horribly out of fashion or something?) with lettuce, tomato, and a riff on tzatziki: yogurt, grated/salted/rinsed/squeezed cucumber, mint, and garlic.

It was delicious, and it was not something I would have thought of making for dinner on my own. This is why I love the cook offs!

Marcia.

[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 July 30, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[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?

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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 July 30, 2006 by ludja (log)

[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?

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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.

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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 August 4, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Grub]

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

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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.