Flavor
IN KC
In the Kitchen LAMB KEBABS BY
Cody Hogan
G
PHOTOS BY
rowing up on a cattle ranch, we never ate lamb. I think it was a leftover sentiment from the Sheep and Cattle Wars of the late 19th century in the Old West. It wasn’t until my first restaurant job in the '90s that I discovered meltingly tender beer-braised lamb shanks, succulent herb-and-mustard-encrusted lamb racks, and tiny little garlic-and-rosemary-scented chops. I was hooked. In my zeal, I even took some home to my sheep-averse family where it was greeted with muted enthusiasm—they were always supportive, even if they found my choices a bit eccentric. Nevertheless, I still love lamb and always love sharing new preparations. A new preparation for me is the lamb kebab. In Turkey and around the Middle East, lamb kebabs are traditional and extremely popular fare. They are made with chunks of lamb or ground lamb, skewered on a “shish” (Turkish, meaning skewer or sword), and there are countless variations. In Turkey, purists don’t combine vegetables on the same shish as meat, and kebabs made with ground lamb normally are mixed only with salt and spicy red pepper. I am not a purist, and I do love my vegetables, so I like to sneak them into the mix where I can. Kebabs can easily become kofta—essentially, just Middle Eastern-flavored meatballs—by shaping them into balls and leaving them off the skewer. Regardless the shape you choose, I hope you choose to add a little lamb to your life this spring and summer. MAY 2022 |
Aaron Leimkuehler
Lamb Kebabs with Spring Greens, Tomatoes, and Flatbread This specific type of kebab is an Adana (named after the Turkish city of Adana) kebab. Traditionally, the lamb used is a fatty cut, minced by hand, but sometimes you only have time to pick up a pack of ground lamb at the grocery store. Better to do that, than not cook at all. Note that when choosing lamb, domestic lamb tends to be milder than that imported from New Zealand and Australia, mainly due to the varieties of lamb used, so if cooking for those hesitant to embrace lamb, look for the domestic. If you are absolutely opposed to lamb, you probably haven’t read this far, but you could use this same technique with other ground meats—even fish. Begin by placing 1 pound of ground lamb in a roomy bowl. Season it with approximately 2 scant teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin cumin, 2 teaspoons of ground sumac, and approximately 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper. My favorite pepper for this is Aleppo pepper, but Urfa pepper is traditional. Cayenne is a little on the hot side, so if you substitute that, be responsible. In the summer, when I have them, I like to use a generous handful of chopped fresh hot peppers from the garden instead of all the dried pepper. Finely chop a bunch of scallions or chives (yielding about one cup) and add to the bowl. Begin kneading the meat mixture like dough, kneading with vigor, squeezing the meat through your fingers until it becomes very sticky and starts
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