The weather here is still unusually warm, which has extended our outdoor grilling season. These Middle Eastern spiced kabobs (affectionately called “meat logs” by my children) are a flavorful departure from burgers, hot dogs, and grilled chicken. I like to serve them with tzatziki, hummus, and warm pita bread.
If you don’t want to go to the trouble to make kebabs (or it is winter and you don’t want to dig your grill out of a snowbank), this meat mixture is also great shaped as meatballs and baked, or browned in a skillet.
RECIPES:
1 small onion Tzatziki (recipe below) Combine onion, garlic cloves, parsley, and mint in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. In a large bowl, combine herb mixture with ground meats, egg, and remaining spices. Mix well. Mold meat mixture around skewers (about 1” thick) and grill for 5 minutes on each side. Serve with tzatziki, hummus, and warm pita bread. . TO COOK AS MEATBALLS IN OVEN: . Tzatziki Grate cucumber (unpeeled), sprinkle with salt and drain in a colander until most of the liquid leeches out. Pat dry with a paper towel. Combine yogurt and cucumber with remaining ingredients. Add additional salt (about ¼-½ tsp) to taste. Refrigerate several hours to blend flavors. Makes about 2 ½ cups If you have a baking stone, place it (ungreased) in the oven while preheating (if you are using a regular baking sheet, place in oven only 1 min before adding bread). Preheat oven to 475°F for at least 15-20 minutes. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well and then knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour if needed until dough doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 12 small balls. Leave in covered bowl. Roll 1 or 2 dough balls into circles about 6-inches across and ¼-inch thick. Place on hot baking stone, one or two at a time. Cook 2 minutes, or until dough puffs up. Turn over and cook about 1 minute longer. Remove from baking stone with a spatula. Place on a plate and flatten pita slightly with spatula (don’t completely flatten, or insides will stick together). Cover with a towel while other pitas are cooking. Makes 12 pitas NoEmptyChairs.meKabob Koobideh
4 garlic cloves
¼ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground lamb or pork
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground sumac, optional
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground allspice
Hummus
Warm Pita Bread (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Form ground meat mixture into 15-18 meatballs (flatten slightly into thick patties, if desired) and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
½ large seedless cucumber (or 2 mini cucumbers)
2 cups whole-fat plain Greek yogurt (Fage Total 4% brand is great)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dill
Dash white pepper
Salt
Pita Bread
2 ½ tsp instant yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Additional flour for kneading, if necessary
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