kebabs

the origin of the word kebab (also can be refer as kebap, kabob, kibob, kebhav,kephav) is in persian, it means fried meat, today we think of it as a variety of meats which are grilled or broiled. the most common kebabs meats are lamb and beef. it is very common food in cuisines such as turkish, romanian, middle eastern, african, central and south asian.
the israeli kebab is mostly ground beef, but even in a small country like israel you will find different kebabs from different regions. the differences can be from the ingredients, the spices and the blend of the ground meat. for example, the romanian kebab usually contains soda, the middle eastern has cinnamon and so on. after years of kebab eating i decided to make the ultimate kebab by mixing my favorite ingredients from different regions.

tips:
1. you do not have to use the most expensive meat. the secret is the fat. do not use a lean meat cause then your kebab will come out dry. there is no substitute for real fat when making ground meat. do not use tricks to make the meat stick, like eggs or bread crumbs. for the ground beef, use chuck instead of lean sirloin for example. if you can get your hands on some pure lamb fat for the mixture, that is a real plus.
2. no need to grill it outdoors on the bbq. i made mine in my small kitchen on a grilling pan. sure, the apartment was filled with smoke and smelled of kebab for 2 weeks, but it was worth it.
3. a metal skewer helps the kebab to cook from the inside. again, because i made mine at home i did not use any skews. if you make the rolls thin enough you wont need it.
4. while cooking, if your kebab sticks to the grill or pan, wait another minute while on the fire, it means the meat is not quite ready, the cooked meat will move more easily.
5. no need to oil the pan, the kebab’s fat will do the job. make sure the pan is extremely hot before you add your kebab meat.


* kebabs served with green tahini

INGREDIENTS
1 pound (500 grams) ground beef
14 ounce (400 grams) ground lamb
3 1/2 ounce (100 gram) lamb fat
1-2 onions finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
2 tsp coriander finely chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper
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PREPARATION
combine all the meat together with all the ingredients
with wet hands form the kebabs
grill 2-3 min on each side till ready

*קבב