Turkish Urfa Kebab Recipes

URFA KEBAB

Steps:

• Combine lamb ground beef and tail fat cubes by using mezzaluna knife. It will take around 30 minutes to combine lamb meat and tail fat well together.
• Combine mezzaluna cut red carmen pepper, red sweet pepper flakes and salt with the mix and use mezzaluna knife again to combine all them well. It will take additional 10 minutes to combine all the mix well.
• Put the kebab meat on to the skewers. (You can use water to prevent the kebab meat to stick on your hand.)
• Place the skewers on a charcoal grill and cook around 15 minutes. While grilling, don't forget to flip the each side of the Kebab continuously to keep the tail fat's and ingredients' juice stay in the meat.

TURKEY KEBABS WITH URFA PEPPER

Steps:

• Combine couscous or bulgur wheat with 1/3 cup boiling water in a bowl and wait for grains to soften, 10 minutes for couscous, 15 to 20 for bulgur. Spread on plate to cool.
• Add ground turkey, garlic, 2 teaspoons chili flakes, scallions, cilantro, cumin, curry powder, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt. Mix well then knead until smooth. Wet hands and form into 12 patties.
• Heat remaining oil in a large pan until just smoking. Add patties so that there is enough space between them so they can be turned with a spatula.
• Cook until crisp and lightly browned on each side, about 12 minutes total.
• Arrange romaine around edge of a platter. Put patties in center and garnish with mint and lemon wedges. Sprinkle with more chili flakes, to taste. To eat, wrap a leaf of romaine around a bit of kebab, a leaf or two of mint, and a sprinkle of chili flakes and a squirt of lemon.

RECIPE FOR MINI URFA KEBAB

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Begin by placing the wooden skewers in a pan of water. Let them soak while you prepare the meat. This will prevent the exposed portions from burning while they cook on the grill.
• Wash the parsley and dill weed and shake out the excess water. Remove the stems and save the leaves. Chop the leaves finely and put them in a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Using the dough hook attachment, turn the stand mixer on low. Let the mixer knead the ingredients together for about 20 minutes. Push the meat that runs up the sides of the bowl back into the center several times during the mixing process. This will ensure a more even mixture.
• If you don't have a stand mixer, wear rubber gloves and knead all the ingredients together by hand for about 20 minutes.
• When the meat mixture takes on the consistency of dough, you know it's ready. Cover the meat mixture with plastic wrap right in the mixing bowl and rest it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• While the grill is firing up, divide the meat mixture into 25 equal parts. Holding a skewer in one hand, pick up one ball of meat with the other. By opening and closing your palm and fingers, mold the meatball along the stick to make a long narrow tube. You can taper the ends slightly if you wish so it adheres to the stick even better.
• Place the 'kebabs' in rows on top of one another until you're ready to grill them. They only take a few minutes on each side to cook, so make sure you have the rest of your meal prepared accordingly.
• If you're using a charcoal grill, let the coals burn down a little for a gentle, even heat. With a gas grill, let it preheat on high, then set it on a medium flame for cooking.
• Place each skewer at a slight diagonal to the lines on the grill grate. This will give it nice sear lines where they touch the grill. Close the top and let the 'kebabs' cook for 3 to 5 minutes on one side. Using tongs, flip each one gently to the opposite diagonal to brown the other side.
• Eat your 'Urfa' kebabs directly off the grill. For garnish, you can also grill hot green peppers and tomato wedges. Serve with potatoes, rice pilaf or bulgur wheat pilaf.

TURKISH KEBABS

Steps:

• Place the chopped onions in a large ceramic bowl and crush with the bottom of a glass until juice is rendered and onions look translucent. Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper, turmeric, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well; add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Combine the sour cream, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, dill, and 1 crushed clove of garlic. Mix well; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Remove the meat from the marinade mixture, brushing off extra onions. Spread the slices on a baking sheet without overlapping, and salt to taste. Broil about 3 minutes per side or until browned and crispy, turning halfway through cooking.
• Divide the cooked meat between the pita breads, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce to serve.

TURKISH KEBABS WITH TOMATO CHILLI SAUCE

Steps:

• Crush 1 garlic clove and mix with 3 tbsp yogurt, the lemon juice, 1 tsp tomato purée, half the spices, and some seasoning in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, toss, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hr or overnight.
• Make the chilli sauce. Put 100g of the tomatoes, the whole red chilli, the remaining spices, garlic clove and tomato purée, plus 1 tbsp olive oil, half the red onion and the pomegranate molasses in a food processor. Add some seasoning and pulse until puréed, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, and heat a griddle pan. Thread the chicken onto metal skewers or wooden ones that have been soaked, then wipe off the excess marinade. Skewer the remaining tomatoes on a separate skewer. Lightly oil the griddle with the remaining olive oil and brown the chicken on both sides, then transfer to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 mins, or until cooked through. Meanwhile, griddle the tomatoes for 1-2 mins, turning halfway through so they have griddle marks on both sides.
• Serve the chicken and tomatoes on flatbreads with the remaining red onion, pickled chillis, the remaining Greek yogurt, parsley and coriander with the chilli sauce spooned over.