Beef Kofta Kebab Platter
Description
Bold spiced ground beef skewers serve platter-style with naan, shredded cabbage, a creamy yogurt sauce and loads of herbs.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped (or ½ yellow onion)
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 8 wooden or metal skewers
Serve With
- Zucchini Tzatziki
or Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of garlic, *see notes - Naan
- Shredded cabbage tossed with olive oil and lemon juice, *see notes
- Sliced cucumber
- Lots of herbs such as mint, cilantro and/or parsley
- Ground sumac sprinkled over platter
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add pine nuts and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, and cloves; cook 30 seconds.
- Transfer shallot mixture to a large bowl with beef, parsley and mint; mix to combine.
- Divide mixture into 8 even portions.
- Form each into a 5-inch-long log then push a skewer through the length of each log.
- Cook according to directions below using the stove, grill or broiler.
Broiler
- Heat broiler to high with rack set 10-inches from element (middle rack). Arrange beef skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning every 3 minutes, until well-browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145ºF (*see recipe notes below), 10–12 minutes.
Stove top
- Preheat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes (just wipe out the skillet you used to cook the shallot and spices). Add 4 beef skewers and cook, turning every 2–3 minutes, until well charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centers registers 145ºF (*see recipe notes below), about 8 minutes total. Transfer skewers to a platter and repeat cooking process with remaining 4 skewers.
Grill
- Preheat a grill to medium-high for 5–10 minutes; brush grill grate clean. Arrange beef skewers over grate and grill, turning every 2 minutes, until charred and an instant-read thermometer registers 145ºF (*see recipe notes below), about 6 minutes total.
To assemble a platter
- Arrange skewers on a large platter. Place a small bowl of yogurt sauce in the middle then arrange naan, shredded cabbage, cucumber, and fresh herbs around the rest of the platter. Sprinkle sumac over top.
Video
Notes
Internal Temperature of Ground beef: It is recommended by the USDA to cook ground beef to 160ºF. If you have a specific doneness preference, pull the skewers when they reach the following temperatures: 125ºF for medium-rare, 135ºF for medium, 145ºF medium-well, 155ºF for well-done. (We have determined these temperatures through test kitchen tests.)
For a garlic Greek yogurt sauce: ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt or 2% Greek yogurt + ¼ teaspoon grated garlic + salt and pepper to taste
For a simple slaw: ½ small green cabbage shredded + 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + salt and pepper to taste
Nut-Free: do not use pine nuts.
Skewers: Wooden skewers are best for cooking these on the stove top. Depending on how large your cast-iron skillet is, you may need to cut down the wooden skewers to fit. If you plan to grill the kofta, consider soaking the skewers in water for 15 minutes prior to threading the meat on and grilling.
If cooking on a flat top griddle: cook over medium-high for 10–12 minutes. We prefer cast-iron stovetop or broiler.
Nutrition
Serving: 2skewersCalories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 24gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 643mgFiber: 0.5g
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