There are thousands of different versions of this Middle Eastern-style meatball on a skewer; with different garnishes, and different spellings, but whether you enjoy yours with tahini, or yogurt sauce, or call it kofta, or kofte, or kefta, or kufta, or qofte, this is one my all-time favorite things to grill. I'll take a plain old meatball anyway, but a grilled meatball is a very special thing indeed.
Authentic versions are actually done using long, flat metal skewers, which are great at holding on to the meat, and make it possible to quickly turn these on the grill, but soaked bamboo skewers work just fine. Since we're going to use tongs to turn ours, the skewers are mostly ornamental here, but if we're going to call it a kebab, we need to pierce our meat with something. Otherwise, as I joked about in the video, we're just making grilled meat logs. And no one wants to be served something called, "grilled meat logs."
Besides the countless ways to season these, there are lots of different approaches to which "filler" we add to the meat, if any. Many versions are pure meat, but I do like to stretch my beef and lamb with some kind of flavor-absorbing starch. Various types of grains or seeds can be used, but my favorite filler is a slice of toasted whole grain bread. Plain breadcrumbs will work, but there's just something about the browned bread that seems to pair better. Speaking of bread, be sure to have plenty of pita or flatbread alongside, preferably homemade. But, no matter what you serve yours on or in, I really do hope you give these a try soon.
Ingredients
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1 slice whole grain bread, toasted
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½ medium yellow onion, diced
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⅓ cup chopped Italian parsley
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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8 ounces ground beef
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4 ounces ground lamb
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1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
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½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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½ teaspoon ground allspice
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½ teaspoon paprika
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¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
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⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
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2 tablespoons water
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4 bamboo skewers, soaked for at least 1 hour
Directions
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Gather all ingredients.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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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. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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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.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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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).
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
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Serve and enjoy.
ALLRECIPES / BAHAREH NAITI
Chef's Note:
You can use white toasted bread instead of wheat.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 288 | Calories |
| 22g | Fat |
| 6g | Carbs |
| 16g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 288 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 22g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 46% |
| Cholesterol 69mg | 23% |
| Sodium 693mg | 30% |
| Total Carbohydrate 6g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Protein 16g | 31% |
| Potassium 286mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
