food, History

Recipe: Lamb and Beef Kufta Kebab

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kebab.jpg

Thanks to Av for first preparing this dish and providing the recipe!  Kufta Kebab are Israeli-style grilled lamb/beef skewers. The kebab recipe has Arab roots and Kufta actually means pounded meat and comes from the Syrian term kooftah.  Here’s the simple recipe beginning with the ingredients:

  • 2 pounds of ground lamb
  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 head of parsley, chopped
  • Cumin to taste
  • Paprika to taste
  • Salt & Pepper to flavor meat
  • Olive Oil

In a good size mixing bowl, combine ground lamb & ground beef with olive oil and mix with your hands until you have a smooth texture and even consistency.  Next, add salt, pepper, cumin and paprika and mix again with your hands.  Add chopped red onion and parsley and mix with your hands. 

The fun part is next: grab a small to medium sized portion of meat and roll into a oblong circle.  Next prepare your outdoor barbecue (they taste best grilled outdoors) and grill one-two minutes on each side (you want the kufta cooked well, not raw or medium rare, but at the same time you do not wan to dry out the meat).

According to Av, in the Middle East they like to make a yogurt/cucumber sauce to go along with it like a tzatziki sauce.  However, good old fashioned American (Heinz) ketchup also goes well with the kebab!  Enjoy!

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Author: Lead Italophile (and/or lover of all things Italian).

5 Comments

  1. Daloia
    November 2, 2008 at 3:30 pm  ·  

    I am a huge fan of the KUFTA KEBAB! With Av’s permission, I took some home and melted cheese on them. While it can certainly stand on its own….cheese just makes everything better. Delicious! Thanks to Av and the Scordos for a little taste of Israeli cuisine.

  2. Vincent Scordo
    November 3, 2008 at 8:27 am  ·  

    I’m so glad you liked them, Jen. Yes, the melted cheese idea is a good one! We need to have a KuftaFest soon!!
    Vin

  3. Av
    November 18, 2008 at 1:31 pm  ·  

    Hey Jen! Actually in the Middle East they will serve the kufta kebab with a yogurt sauce similar to the greek Tzatziki yogurt cucumber sauce. In Lebanon there is also Labne, which is a combination of goat cheese and yogurt that is served in balls floating in Olive oil, which is very spreadable and they serve with the kufta kebabs. there is also the spicy Morrocan Harisa that is made from paprika, cumin, cured lemons and hot chilies. but the right kind of cheese added to anything is always good. you have my permission. Vin, you should try my recipe for a phenominal dinner of Hadley Pumpkin and Squash soup with fresh olive bread served with French & Dutch cheeses and amazing Malbec wine from Argentina. the preferred cheeses are Robusto from Holland, with Roquefort and a really stinky sheep’s milk cheese from the Alsace region of France.

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