Description
Kabab Koobideh is a classic Persian dish featuring juicy and flavorful skewers made from a blend of ground beef and lamb mixed with grated onion and spices. This recipe guides you through preparing the perfect meat mixture, shaping the kebabs onto metal skewers, and grilling them to perfection, resulting in tender kebabs served traditionally with saffron-infused fluffy rice and grilled tomatoes.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (80-85% lean)
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 200 grams onion, grated and squeezed of juice
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp red chili pepper powder
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat Mixture: Grate the onions and squeeze out the juice through a fine mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the juice to drain fully. Combine the ground beef, ground lamb, grated and drained onion, salt, and red chili pepper powder in a large bowl. Knead the mixture thoroughly for about 5 minutes until it becomes sticky; this adhesiveness is critical to prevent the kebabs from falling off the skewers. Always use fresh ground meat for best results.
- Prepare the Skewers: Divide the meat mixture into equal portions weighing about 125 grams each. Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking and mold each portion into an oval shape. Take a 2 cm wide metal skewer and firmly press the meat on both sides around the skewer, flattening gently and making light indentations with your thumb and index finger to help secure the meat. Place the shaped skewers on a shallow baking tray avoiding contact between them or the tray bottom. Refrigerate the skewers for 1 to 2 hours to help them set before grilling.
- Grill Kebabs: Preheat your grill until the charcoal or heat source is covered with a layer of gray ash, replicating a traditional Persian mangal. Use two parallel bricks or square metal pipes to rest the skewers over the heat without touching the grill grates. Arrange the skewers with space in between to prevent sticking. Grill the kebabs for 5 to 8 minutes, turning them one by one in a consistent order to ensure even cooking and to avoid the meat falling off. Serve hot with grilled tomatoes, saffron rice, and fresh basil leaves for an authentic Persian experience.
Notes
- Always use fresh ground beef and lamb, avoid frozen and thawed, for better texture and flavor.
- Kneading the meat mixture until sticky is essential for the kebabs to stay on the skewers during grilling.
- Keep your hands moistened with water during shaping to prevent the meat from sticking to your fingers.
- Resting the shaped kebabs in the refrigerator before grilling helps them maintain their shape on the skewers.
- If a traditional mangal is unavailable, use a grill setup with bricks or metal pipes to simulate the grilling environment.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Persian
