Fry

Kubideh Almost-Kebabs

by:
June 13, 2014
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 2-3
Author Notes

Lately, I've been on a kubideh kebab kick. Kubideh is a Persian ground meat kebab made on large flat skewers that look like mega-sized nail files. But since I didn't have these and don't have the space for them, I decided to make them into sticks that could be grilled. Here is my take on the super easy and delicious kubideh. Serve with saffron rice or lavash, and fresh herbs (like mint, cilantro, parsley, lemon basil). —HalfPint

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound ground lamb
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
  • 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 tsp table salt, plus little more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
  • cooking oil
Directions
  1. In a food processor, pulverize the onions, salt, and turmeric, until the mixture is very fine and watery.
  2. Add the ground meats, egg, and parsley to the food processor. Pulse the mixture until it is paste-like and everything is thoroughly mixed together. Take a small knob (size of a nickel) of the meat mixture, cook separately in a small fry pan or in the microwave to test the seasoning. Add more salt and pulse briefly, if needed.
  3. Transfer to a covered container and chill for a minimum of 60 minutes to a max of 24 hours. Chilling helps to firm up the meat mixture and makes forming the sticks easier. It also helps the flavor to develop more.
  4. Take a handful of the mixture and shape into chubby sticks/logs, ~6-8 inches long and ~2 inches in diameter. Does not have to look perfect, just eyeball it. Repeat with remaining mixture until all of it has been shaped. Put sticks onto a dinner plate and refrigerate, uncovered, while you prepare the grill. It's important to keep the meat chilled and firm, so that it does not fall through and stick impossibly to the grate.
  5. Heat up a grill, gas or charcoal (which is the traditional method for cooking kubideh). The kubideh will be cooked on direct heat (med to high heat). Smear the meatsticks with a very light coating of oil, to keep them from sticking too much to the grate.
  6. Place the meatsticks onto the grill and cook on 1 side for about 8 minutes. Using a spatula, dislodge the kubideh gently (they might stick a bit, but should not be impossible to move) and grill the other side for another 6-7 minutes. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer (160F) or nick a thicker piece and check the color, should be no pink.
  7. Transfer to a clean plate and serve with rice or lavash and a mix of fresh herbs and sliced onions.
  8. Serving note: I like to break off a chunk and wrap in small piece of lavash with a few leaves of herbs and onions. Best finger food on the planet. Or you can serve each kubideh with rice and eat with a knife and fork, which is just as good.
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