KABAB KOOBIDEH
IRAN
The texture of the ground meat for these kebabs needs to be very fine. You can achieve this by first grinding it twice through the fine disk of a meat grinder and then kneading it with the seasonings. Or you can skip the kneading and pulse the ground meat in a food processor a few times.
To form the kebabs, be sure to use flat skewers, otherwise the meat will spin around as it shrinks away from the skewer during grilling. In Iran, people who are serious about their kebabs—like my friend Feridoonjan, who taught me how to make these—carry their own set of skewers inside a metal cylindrical case that is like a fishing rod case.
Kabab koobideh are absolutely delicious and probably the best known Iranian kebabs. They are served on flatbread with pickles (torshi), fresh herbs, and sumac, the latter an essential seasoning for grilled meat in Iran. You can also serve the kebabs on Plain Iranian Rice instead of bread together with the yogurt and cucumber.
SERVES 4
1 pound 2 ounces (500 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of some of the fat, finely minced
1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), finely grated
1 teaspoon fine breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt and finely ground black pepper
Flatbread, for serving
1. Put the minced meat in a bowl. Add the onion, breadcrumbs, turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste and knead, dipping your hand in a bowl of lightly salted cold water every now and then until you have a homogenous paste.
2. Prepare a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill or preheat the broiler to high.
3. Divide the meat into 8 equal portions. Wrap each portion around a flat skewer, pressing the meat up and down the skewer and making indentations with your thumb and index finger every inch or so until you end up with a kind of wavy flat sausage. Grill or broil for a couple of minutes on each side, or until done to your liking. Serve hot with flatbread.