• Yield: Makes about 35 kebabs; serves 6 to 8


I love kebabs, which is why I can't help making them at any backyard party. These kebabs utilize the same combination of herbs that I add to many of my dishes: mint, parsley and cilantro. Here, the addition of grated onion keeps the meat moist. Even a well-fed sheikh would be proud of this dish!

You'll need about 35 skewers; if using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them for at least 1 hour in water first.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef

  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix really well with your hands. Shape the ground beef mixture into cylinders about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter, put them on skewers, and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

2. When the grill is fired up, place the meat kebabs over the heat and grill them until good and charred on each side, 4 to 6 minutes.

Serve these kebabs hot off the grill.


Excerpted from Balaboosta by Einat Admony (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2013. Photographs by Quentin Bacon.