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Beef Kebabs (Lebanese Kafta)

lebanese-kaftaSun-dried tomatoes and Aleppo peppers stud these Lebanese kebabs. Called Kafta in Lebanon and it's also widely known as Kofta in other Middle Eastern countries. It's basically a meatball using either beef, chicken or lamb, mixed with herbs, Middle Eastern spices and onions. All you really need is 4 ingredients: ground beef, onions, parsley and a spice blend similar to allspice. Traditionally it's served on pita with hummus, or you can also serve it with cauliflower rice or rice pilaf and a salad.

¼ cup fresh parsley
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1 lb ground beef
2 tsp. 7 Spice Blend
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground coriander
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Place the parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, remove and set aside.

In the same food processor bowl used to chop the parsley, place the quartered onion and pulse until finely chopped. Drain the onions slightly to release excess moisture.

Return the parsley back to the bowl of the food processor with the onions. Add the ground beef to the food processor in addition to all the spices. Run the food processor on pulse once or twice until ingredients are well combined and form a pasty meat mixture.

Transfer the mixture from the food processor to a large bowl and form the Kafta into an oblong shape about 1" in thickness. You can form them on a wooden skewer or without.

Grease the grates of a gas grill or indoor grill pan, and preheat it to medium high heat. When heated through, transfer the kafta to the grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on your preferred level of doneness.

Serve hot off the grill with your choice of side.

Makes 22 skewers.

Cook's Notes:

  • Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
  • Make-Ahead: You can make the patties ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to grill them, thaw in the fridge overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
  • Sourcing: You can find the the spices mentioned at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients. Sometimes you might even just find "Kafta" spices which has the spices all combined. In that case, you can use 1½ Tbsp. of the kafta spice in place of all the other spices. If you can't find 7 Spice, and don't want to make your own, substitute allspice.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 52mg, Potassium: 237mg, Vitamin A: 75IU, Vitamin C: 2.1mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1.7mg