Kafta Meshwiyeh

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground lamb
• ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• ½ medium onion, minced very fine
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the lamb in a large bowl, add the parsley, mint, minced onion, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

2. 2

   Use your hands to squish and mix the ingredients together until the herbs are evenly distributed and the mixture holds together, about 2 minutes of constant mixing.

3. 3

   Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each one into a 4-inch-long cylinder around a metal skewer, squeezing gently so it stays on the skewer and doesn't fall off when lifted.

4. 4

   Brush the kafta all over with the olive oil, making sure every side gets a light coating.

5. 5

   Place a grill grate or grill pan over medium-high heat and wait 3 minutes until it is very hot and you can feel strong heat radiating from it when you hold your hand 2 inches above the surface.

6. 6

   Lay the skewered kafta on the hot grate and listen for a sizzle; if you do not hear one, move the grate lower or wait 30 more seconds.

7. 7

   Let the kafta cook without moving them for 3 minutes until the bottom surface is dark charred brown, like burnt toast.

8. 8

   Use tongs to turn each skewer 90 degrees (a quarter turn), then cook for another 2 minutes until that new side is also charred brown.

9. 9

   Turn the skewers another 90 degrees and cook for 2 more minutes until a second side is charred, so you have two charred sides.

10. 10

    Turn the skewers one final time and cook the last side for 2 minutes until it is also charred, for a total cooking time of about 9 minutes.

11. 11

    Transfer the skewers to a clean plate and let them rest for 2 minutes so the meat stays juicy when you eat it.

12. 12

    Slide the kafta off the skewers onto a serving platter using a fork to push the meat from the handle end.

Tools you’ll need

• large mixing bowl
• 8 metal skewers (10–12 inches long)
• grill grate or grill pan
• tongs
• chef's knife
• cutting board
• fork
• serving platter

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