Thanks Vic
Thanks Lerxst
Labor of love indeed
@Johnpv,
I’ll gladly share my recipe for Lamb Kofta and my technique. The technique is more important than the recipe in my humble opinion.
For best results, use 50/50 of ground beef and lamb mixture.
For authentic seasoning, try Mediterranean 7-spice mix.
http://www.sadaf.com/Sadaf-Seven-Spice-Baharat-11-1003/To 1 bag of the 7-spice mixture above, I add 2 TBS of granulated onion powder, 1/2 tsp of each powdered oregano and thyme, 1/4 tsp citric acid, 1/2 of lemon pepper, and 1 tsp of black and 1/2 white pepper. Saltt of course to taste. Once you mix all those spices, you can use 1 to 2 tsp per pound of ground meat, or more if you like more seasoning in your food. I also add 1 tsp of tomato past(no sauce) per pound. 1/2 onion pureed and all the water squeezed out per pound, 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley per pound- do not used dry parsley.
I usually form a small patty after mixing the spices and cook it in a frying pan to check the seasoning. This way you can adjust prior to cooking the whole batch.
Here are the rules for best results and guarantee not to fall of off the skewers:
Rule#1 absolutely no liquid flavoring:
That includes eggs as well. Eggs act as a binder, but unless you’re using large amount of meat, eggs will make the mixture wet. And no bread crumbs needed.
Onions will have to be drained of all their liquid. This can be done in 2 ways. You can puree onions in a food processor and A. place them in a coffee filter inside of a strainer over night or B. squeeze all the water with a clean kitchen towel.
You can reserve the onion water for molding the meat on the skewers later. This will also add a good flavor.
Rule#2 run the ground meat mixture in a food processor until it forms a ball or very smooth:
This may be done in batches, but a must be done, or the meat won’t mold and stay on the skewers.
Rule#3 Refrigerate the meat after you place on the skewers for a minimum of 4 hours and best overnight.
Rule#4 Mold the meat on the skewers with the thickest part of the meat is along the edge of the skewer.
The meat will shrink during cooking towards the middle of the skewer, so if you start with it bunched up in the center, the edges of the skewers will act as a knife and spilt the meat in a half. Wet your hands with cold water or the remaining onion juice during molding for easier application.
With your thumb and index finger, pinch the top and bottom ends of the meat in a circular fashion to seal them and make them stick on the skewers.
Free Image HostingFree Image HostingRule#5 **Most Important** grill the skewers 3-4 inches above the coals on high heat.
You have to sear the meat quickly before the fat melts. If the fat starts melting before the protein has had a chance to tighten up, it will fall off the skewer. You’ll need hot coals and close distance to the coals. Sear one side, and rotate quickly to sear the other side, then you can move the skewers to a lower heat section of the grill.
I know this sound like a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Give it another try and let me know if you have any questions.
Good luck and enjoy
I’ve done Kofta on the Kettle too