Description
Wander through the medina of Tripoli and you will soon smell the sizzle of beef kebabs wafting through the air as little hole-in-the-wall stalls grill up a storm throughout the day. To get the meat super succulent you need to have a high fat content—I suggest at least 20 percent fat. These kebabs are simple to make and cook fast on a barbecue. Rather than serve them in a wrap, I like to make these a little different, plating them up on a slick of hummus—either buy your favorite or make a batch—and then top the meat with a really zesty mix of red onion, sumac, and parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
For the kebabs
- 1 pound ground beef with 20 percent fat
- ½ onion (grated)
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- a small handful of finely chopped parsley leaves
- ½ teaspoon Lebanese 7 spice ?or baharat
- 1½ teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- sea salt
For the onions
- 1 red onion (finely sliced)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- a small handful of finely chopped parsley leaves
To serve
- 10½ ounces hummus
- flatbreads
Instructions
- Begin with the onions. Put the red onion slices in a bowl and add the lemon juice and a good pinch of salt. Mix well and leave to macerate for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the broiler or barbecue to high. Put all the ingredients for the kebabs into a large mixing bowl with a good pinch of salt and mix well. Thread the meat onto flat skewers (these prevent the meat from turning when you flip them over on the barbecue) so you have a sausage shape. You should be able to make 8 kebabs. Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until charred and juicy.
- Add the sumac and parsley to the macerated onions and mix well.
- To serve, spread the hummus onto a serving dish. Lay the kebabs on top and pile on the onions. Serve immediately with flatbreads.
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Lebanese