This recipe is all you need to make flavorful and juicy Kabab Koobideh. Koobideh is a skewer of ground beef, lamb, or both of them mixed with grated onion and a blend of spices grilled to perfection, served with fluffy saffron rice.
EQUIPMENT
· 2 cm wide skewers
· Mangal or BBQ grill
INGREDIENTS
· 1 lb ground beef (80–85% lean)
· 1 lb ground lamb
· 200 grams onion grated and squeezed out the juice
· 1½ tsp salt
· 1/4 tsp red chili pepper powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the Meat Mixture
1. Grate the onion and then squeeze it through a fine mesh strainer. Place the mesh strainer over a bowl, cover it, and let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the onion juice to drip through.
2. For every 1 kg of ground meat, you need about 200 grams of onion that has been drained.
3. Add all the ingredients (ground meat mixture, grated onion, salt, and pepper) into a large bowl and knead until sticky (about 5 minutes). If this mixture is not kneaded enough and is not sticky, kebabs will fall off the skewer. Always use fresh ground meat for Kabab Koobideh, not frozen and thawed.
Prepare the Skewers
1. Divide the meat mixture into equal parts. Each skewer of Koobideh weighs about 125 grams. You can consider more meat for each skewer, but be careful that the heavier it is, the more likely it is to fall off the skewer.
2. Moisten your hand with water take a portion of the meat mixture and give it an oval shape.Take a metal skewer (2cm wide) and press the meat from both sides of the skewer so that it sticks to the skewer. And with gentle pressure of your fingers, flat kebabs on it. Put a bowl of water next to you and moisten your hands to make it easier to shape the Kebabs. Use your thumb and index finger to make indentations by pressing the meat lightly.
3. Lay the skewers on shallow baking tray edges so that they do not come in touch with each other and the bottom of the tray. Let the kebabs sit in the refrigerator for about 1–2 hours before grilling.
Grill Kebabs
1. In Iran, kebabs are grilled on a “Mangal” with hot coals. In Persian cuisine, “mangal” refers to a portable barbecue or grill. Before placing the skewers on the mangal, make sure the coals are gray and covered with ash.
2. To replicate the function of a Mangal, utilize two bricks or two square metal pipes. Position these bricks or square metal pipes parallel to each other, then rest the skewers on them to ensure they do not touch the grill grates. It’s best to grill the vegetables before the Kebabs in separate batches because it takes longer to cook vegetables. Place the prepared skewers on the grill and make sure it is not too crowded. Leave some space between each skewer to prevent sticking.
3. After placing the last skewer, quickly go to the first kebab skewer you put on the grill and turn it over. Turn the rest of the skewers in order. This helps to cook the kebabs evenly on all sides and prevents them from falling off the skewers. Kebabs should be grilled for about 5–8 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking. Serve Kabab Koobideh with grilled tomatoes, saffron rice, and fresh basil leaves.
Reference: cookingwithsamira
