EDIBLE OBJECTIVE
Persian Barbeque delivers big flavors!
Mon. June 7, 2010 12:00 AM
by Brad Mercil
I can't tell you how many times I have made this meal for people and everyone just sits and rolls their eyes as they enjoy eating it. It's a great meal to make on a hot summer day when everyone can sit outside and smell all of the kabab smoke as you're grilling.
This meal does require a fair amount of prep time so be prepared to put in about 1 to 2 hours to get everything ready. I suggest that you prepare the kabab mixture and salads ahead of time so that when it comes time to cook all you have to do is start the rice and heat up your grill. Then the meal will come together very quickly.
For a little extra style, have a platter next to the grill with one whole piece of lavash bread on the platter. Place the cooked kababs on the lavash and cover with a second lavash. Gently press down on the lavash so that the bread soaks up the kabab juices. You can place the whole platter right on the table and watch to see who gets to eat the lavash.
When it comes to eating this meal, everyone seems to have their own way of doing it. I generally try to get some rice and kabab meat on my spoon. Yes, you use a spoon! In my opinion it is best to hold a table spoon in one hand and a fork in the other, then you can push rice, kabab, tomato, salad or whatever onto the spoon and then into your mouth. You should get a nice combination of flavors and textures with each mouthful.
A Persian Barbeque will be a real change of pace from the traditional barbeques that most of us know. You will get to try a meal that delivers some really big bold flavors. So let's get started!
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Beef and Lamb Kababs - Persian style
(Kabab-e Koobideh)
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*****Ingredients*****
1 lb ground beef, no more than 50% lean you want some fat
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1 medium to large onion grated
1 tblsp turmeric powder
1 tblsp cumin
1/2 tblsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
*****Preparation*****
In a large non-reactive bowl mix ground beef and lamb well with your hands. Grate onion the bowl to capture onion pieces and juice, then add all remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands. The beef and lamb mixture should take on a slight orange color from the turmeric powder when completely incorporated.
Cover the mixture and place in refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
To form the kabab patties, you will need to have a small bowl of water so that you can wet your hands before forming each pattie. Wet your hands and gather up a ball of the mixture in your wetted hands. The ball should be about twice the size of a golf ball. Set the ball in one hand and press down with the other, use your fingers to press out the pattie. The pattie should roughly be the size of your hand and look like an elongated thin hamburger pattie about a 1/2 inch thick by 3 inches wide by about 6 inches long depending on how big your hands are. Place the kabab patties on a plate for grilling. Be sure to rewet your hands between each pattie or as needed.
Heat your grill to medium high heat; the grill should be hot before you begin. When grilling kababs, you want the meat to cook fairly quickly. Each side should take about 4 to 6 minutes depending on the heat of your grill. Use a long handled spatula to turn the kababs. A good tip that I learned is to look for small puddles of fat that will form on top of the kabab when it is ready. You should see nice grill marks on each side of the kabab.
Serve with Persian rice, grilled tomatoes, Persian salad and Mast-o-Khiar (Yogurt with Cucumbers and Garlic).
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Persian Rice
(Kateh)
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*****Ingredients*****
2 cups Basmati or long-grain rice
Salt to taste
3 cups Water
1-2 tblsp Butter or Margarine
*****Preparation*****
Pour rice into a 4 quart pot and add 3 cups of water, salt, butter or margarine and cover. Bring water and rice to a boil over medium high temperature then reduce heat to medium. Let the water and rice boil until water level is the same level as the rice. Remove cover from pot, place cover in middle of towel and fold excess over top of cover. Replace cover on pan; it should be a snug fit. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cook rice over low temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is cooked through.
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Cucumber, Tomato and Green Onion Salad
(Persian salad)
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*****Ingredients*****
1 cucumber large chopped
2 - 3 ripe tomatoes chopped
3 green onions, cleaned, thinly sliced
Dressing
2 lemons juiced (about 1/3 of a cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
*****Preparation*****
Place cucumbers, tomatoes and green onions in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk together all of the remaining ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Pour dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly to coat.
Place salad in refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 4 hours. The cucumbers and tomatoes will release some of their juices; toss the salad before serving to incorporate
all of the ingredients.
**Adjust the amount of salt, pepper, dill weed and lemon juice in the dressing to your taste.
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Yogurt with Cucumbers and Garlic
(Mast-o-Khiar)
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*****Ingredients*****
2 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 cucumbers grated or finely chopped
2 - 3 garlic cloves pressed or finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dill weed
2 lemons juiced
*****Preparation*****
In a non-reactive bowl, add the yogurt and stir to remove any lumps. Add grated cucumbers, add garlic to taste, salt, dill weed and lemon juice.
Place mixture in refrigerator for 2 hours or more. This dish is very refreshing and is especially good on a hot summer day. This dish can also be served as a salad dressing.
**Adjust the amount of garlic, salt, dill weed and lemon juice to your taste.
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Grilled Tomatoes
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*****Ingredients*****
2-4 lbs ripe but firm tomatoes
Bamboo skewers
*****Preparation*****
Soak bamboo skewers for 1 hour. Cut tomatoes in quarters or eights depending on the size of the tomatoes. Skewer roughly 3 to 4 tomato sections on each bamboo skewer. Place skewered tomatoes directly on grill. Grill each side on medium high heat for 5 to 8 minutes depending on size of tomato sections and temperature of grill. The tomatoes will wilt slightly when cooked and will be very juicy.
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