Mediterranean Beef Kofta Kabobs is so juicy and flavorful. Kafta can also be made using lamb. It is a mixture of meat, onions, and parsley that’s seasoned with Mediterranean spices. Kofta goes well with many dishes. It can also be used in wraps with a garlic aioli sauce, fries, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, or it can be shaped as burger patties and eaten as burgers. Kofta is also used in many other Mediterranean dishes such as casseroles, and stews, or formed into meatballs and used in that manner.
Jump to RecipeCHOOSING THE MEAT
Traditionally, Kofta is made with ground lamb. However, my husband hates lamb, and lamb is more expensive and less available in the market. That’s why I chose beef to make these kabobs.
When Choosing the meat, you do not want it to contain a high amount of fat. 75 percent lean would not be a good choice because most of the fat will end up dripping into the pan or grill, and the end result would be a smaller kabob.
85 to 90 percent lean meat would be a better choice. You do not want the meat to be void of any fat because after all, the fat will give it some moistness. If the meat was too lean, it will give you a dry kofta kabob.
OVEN BROILING METHOD
Even though grilled kafta kabobs taste amazing, especially on a charcoal grill, sometimes you may not have the time to prepare the grill, or maybe the whether is not cooperating, or it could be too cold as it is for me right now at the moment of righting this post (snow outside). That’s were broiling comes in handy.
I often use the broiler throughout the winter to broil burgers, kabobs, vegetables, and all sort of things, and the result is astounding.
If you think about it, that’s technically what a grill is doing. It is posing direct heat onto the food. The only difference is that in a broiler, the heat is coming from above rather than from below.
All you need for broiling is any pan that can handle direct heat. A roasting pan would be great, but I don’t even have an official roasting pan.
The second thing you’ll need is a metal rack that can also handle direct heat. You can also use a toaster oven’s rack which is what I use all the time. Our toaster oven broke years ago, but I saved the racks to use them in baking, broiling, and cooling my baked goods.
Turn the oven to broil, and set it on high.
Place the metal rack over the pan. Make sure you have enough space between the metal rack and the bottom of the pan so that if any fat drips, it will not touch the kofta kabobs.
Dip your hands in some oil every time you want to shape a kofta kabob to prevent the meat from sticking to your hands.
Take a handful of the meat mixture, roll it between your hands, and shape it into a log of about an inch to an inch and a half thick.
Place the kafta kabobs on the metal rack in the roasting pan.
Place the pan on the rack that is one lower than the top rack, and broil for approximately 6 minutes for well done kafta.
GRILLING METHOD
Preheat the grill to medium heat. The cooking time may vary according to the type of grill you have and its heat settings.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t done this in a long time because the broiling method is so convenient to me, but I will try to explain it as best as I can.
If your grill rack has wide openings, you’ll want to thread the kofta kabobs onto skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in warm water for 30 minutes before threading the meat onto them and putting them over the grill.
If you do not soak your wooden skewers before using, they will burn and the kabobs will fall off with a wooden skewer still lodge on the inside of them.
My favorite Skewers to use are metal skewers. They are so easy to use, and super easy to clean. Just soak them in some hot soapy water after you are done using them, and everything should come right off with a gentle scrubbing.
If the grill rack openings are not too large, you may be able to place the kofta directly onto the rack.
From what my memory serves, it takes less time to get a well done kafta kabob over the grill than it does under the broiler. I believe the time would be about 4 minutes for the grill for a well done kabob, and approximately 6 minutes for under the broiler. Just keep in mind that the thickness of the kabob will also affect the grilling time.
There really isn’t that much of a difference between the grilling time and the broiling time. Even though grilling requires more preparation before hand, it is so worth it because the end result will be absolutely amazing.
Another way to tell if the kafta kabobs are well done is through their color and bounce factor. When they are well done, their color should appear on the gray side on the side that is facing away from the grill. I know that doesn’t sound appetizing, but trust me, they absolutely are!
What do I mean by bounce factor? When the kofta kabobs are well done, when you gently press on them, they should be firm, but slightly bounce back.
Now you can serve it as is with some other side dishes, put it in a flat rice bread wrap with some garlic paste and fresh vegetables, or you can shape them as burgers and serve them in that manner. The last time I made these Mediterranean Kafta Kabobs I served them with some autumn roasted vegetables and homemade baked fries.
Kafta is also used in so many other Mediterranean dishes.
MORE MEDITERRANEAN RECIPES
Shish Tawook Mediterranean Chicken Shish Kabob Recipe
Gluten Free Mediterranean Eggplant Stew With Chickpeas
Mediterranean Beef Kofta Kabobs – Beef Kafta
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Grill, or a griddle pan, or a roasting pan with a rack
- Skewers, if using a grill
- Ramekin, or a small bowl
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon garam masala or 7 spices
- 1 tablespoons and 1 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 3 medium onions thinly diced
- 3 tablespoons dried parsley
- Vegetable or olive oil for shaping the kabobs
Instructions
- Into a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Mix using your hands until everything is well incorporated.
- Oil your hands using vegetable oil or olive oil, take a handful of the meat mixture, and shape it into a log that’s about 1 inch thick or slightly thicker by rolling it between your oiled hands. You might need to oil your hands every time you shape one of these “kofta logs” to prevent the meat from sticking to your hands.
- If you are using a grill, you could either thread the kofta kabobs onto skewers, or you could place them directly on the grill if the grill’s rack openings are not too wide that they would allow the kofta to fall through. Grill for approximately 6 minutes for well-done kofta kabobs. Grilling time may vary according to heat.
- If you are using a roasting pan with a rack, Set the oven to broil at high heat. Line the kofta onto the rack, place the pan on the rack that is one rack lower than the top rack, and broil for approximately 6 minutes for well-done kofta.
- You can serve with other grilled food, tabouleh, fattoush, or you can even turn them into burgers and serve them as burgers.
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