Grilling: Lebanese Kofta
Each week Joshua Bousel of The Meatwave drops by with a recipe for you to grill over the weekend. Fire it up, Joshua!
My enthusiasm for lamb is not mutual in my relationship, so it's always a treat when I cook it up at home--it doesn't happen all that often. Last weekend was one of those sporadic times when lamb graced my grill, and it was extra special since these Lebanese kofta skewers were some of the best lamb creations I've ever made.
It started with fatty pieces of lamb shoulder, which I finely ground, combined with parsley, onion, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. The lamb mixture was then formed around skewers and grilled. The spices were subtle against the distinct flavor of lamb, but there was just enough to give the meat a complexity behind its deceptively simple looks. With an under-oiled grate, a couple of the skewers fell apart when I tried to turn them, but despite the fallback, thankfully no meat was lost. They grilled up and were gladly eaten all the same.
Lebanese Kofta
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs finely ground lamb
1 bunch of parsley, washed and coarsely chopped
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes prior to using
Procedure
1. Pulse onion and parsley and onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and add the ground lamb, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
2. Form lamb mixture into 1 1/2" meat balls. Thread one meatball on a skewer, then form meat into a log shape around the skewer. Repeat until all lamb is used.
3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly over the charcoal grate. Clean and oil your grilling grate.
4. Grill skewers over high heat until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and serve.
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13 Comments:
Mmmmmmm....thanks for the recipe, this looks like tasty fun!
chanterelle at 9:18PM on 08/14/09
The addition of ground sumac, a true Lebanese seasoning, could also add more depth and complexity to these, not to mention authenticity.
djwackfriz at 2:30AM on 08/15/09
A little allspice and garlic would kick it up a touch as well.
Eroca at 6:52AM on 08/15/09
What makes Lebanese kofta different from other countries' kofta? It's a dish found all over the Middle East, Turkey, Armenia, etc. I'm not sure who claims to have originated it. The Lebanese?
Lorenzo at 8:42AM on 08/15/09
I make moroccan kofta in tagine's all the time, but have never attempted to make them (from any Middle Eatern region) on the grill. I always thought I needed the flat metal skewers to do this! Thanks for the recipe, and if you'd like to try them the Moroccan way, just form merguez into little balls and use them in this dish:
http://www.biggirlssmallkitchen.com/2009/08/big-girls-global-kitchens-manhattan-via.html
Enjoy!
BigGirlPhoebz at 9:38AM on 08/15/09
The difference between Lebanese kofta and all the other endless variations is that we call it kafta. I'm not sure there's much more to it.
masalha at 7:08PM on 08/15/09
This reminds me of a great dish from Food & Wine magazine: Minty Lamb and Sausage Orzo with Grilled Artichokes
You grill a lamb and Italian sausage mix, and crumble it in orzo pasta, grilled artichoke hearts, feta, etc. I have made it 5 or 6 times. Very good.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/minty-lamb-and-sausage-orzo-with-grilled-artichokes
Remander at 2:29AM on 08/16/09
I live in an apartment so grilling is out of the question - can I do these under the broiler?
Monelle at 5:07PM on 08/16/09
Deb of Smitten Kitchen featured a kefta recipe a while back, which is delicious. I often make them into meatballs and bake them off, and I seriously can't resist popping them into my mouth cold from the fridge.
meleyna at 12:47AM on 08/17/09
There is a pepper paste that is used to make this and makes all the difference. Biber Salcasi. It comes sweet and or hot. Red pepper paste. Gives it a great color. Without it the final outcome is just a lamb burger.
JerzeeTomato at 8:56PM on 08/19/09
Fantastic! What do you use for a side???
redmenace at 1:18AM on 08/24/09
This looks wonderful! I'd love this with some yogurt sauce and rice and maybe some grilled onions and tomatoes. Yum!
SheRa at 12:47PM on 08/24/09
@redmenace - I'm doing a side of curried couscous (from a larger recipe at Gourmet):
Toast 3/4 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a sauce pan over moderate heat for about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbl butter and bring to a boil. Add 1 1/4 cups couscous, cover and let stand 5 minutes.
@SheRa - those both sound like great ideas, I might have to add that in tonight!
smiths37 at 5:53PM on 08/24/09