According to legend, the first hamburger was served at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. It was a ground beef patty, cooked on a flat griddle and put on a roll so it could be carried around while one enjoyed the exhibits. It’s a great American story, but other cultures have also created portable ground beef dishes. Kofta originated in the East and predates written history, but it now is commonly found in Central Asia and across the Atlantic. While not shaped like a patty, there are some similarities. This skewered kebab is made from minced or ground meat, cooked over an open fire, and placed in a thick piece of flatbread like a pita for easy handling.
MAKES 6 LARGE KEBABS
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ pounds (680 g) ground chuck, preferably 85% lean
- 1 pound (455 g) ground beef sirloin, preferably 93% lean
- ½ cup (80 g) grated onion
- ¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped flat parsley
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (substitute with red pepper flakes)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon sumac (substitute with citric acid)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- 6 large sword skewers
- Oil
- 1 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Place the grated onion on a clean dish cloth, wring out the excess liquid, and add the onions to the bowl. Add the chopped parsley and all the spices to the beef and onion mixture.
- Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients, mixing but not overworking the meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Form the beef into oblong koftas around each of the sword skewers. Each kofta kebab should be about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) long. Make sure the meat is packed tightly around the skewer and that there is at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of exposed metal on the end. Brush the surface with oil and return the uncooked koftas to the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap, for 30 more minutes.
- Preheat the grill for direct medium-high to high heat. When hot, oil the grill grates right before putting on the kebabs.
- Place the koftas onto the grill. Leave the lid up and cook one side for 6 to 7 minutes, turn, and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the koftas reaches 160°F (71°C).
- Remove the koftas from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes. Gently slide them away from the skewers, place onto a clean platter, and squeeze lemon juice over top.
