Beef or lamb kabobs come in many varieties ranging from Turkish Şiş Kebobs, Eastern European Shaslik Kebabs, African Suya Kabobs, to these classic Persian Chenjeh Kabobs. Whatever you decide to call them, and whichever version you pick to feature, these will always be a hit at smaller gatherings. Kabobs have to be eaten relatively fresh off the grill or out of the broiler, so make sure everyone is seated and breaking bread before you toss these on the grill.
Chenjeh kabobs are traditionally eaten with Persian rice or flat bread, sliced tomatoes and onions dressed with olive oil and sumac spice. Alternately, they pair well with a light salad. Lebanese variants are served with a garlic aioli sauce, while Turkish or Israeli versions may be accompanied by a tahini based sauce.
Persian Salmon Kabobs
- Cook Time: 30 min + 12 hours for marination
- Persons: 4
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Ingredients
- 2 lbs Top Sirloin Steaks
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 1/2 medium white onion diced
- 3 medium garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 steak house tomatoes, 1 red onion sliced, and curly parsley for garnish
- extra-virgin olive oil
- Instructions
- Soak the saffron in hot water for 10min
- Cut the beef or lamb into 1.5 inch cubes, excess fat trimmed
- Marinade: Combine 2 tbsp olive oil, saffron and water, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor
- Put the beef and marinade into a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours.
- Take the beef out of the fridge and let sit for 30 min to reach room temperature.
- Now its time to get the charcoal going. It will take 30 min for the charcoal to be ready. It should be glowing red with an ashy coating on top when it is ready.
- Skewer the beef, leaving 1/2 inch space between chunks.
- Prepare the baste by combining 1/3 cup marinade with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Once the charcoal is ready, start grilling by arranging each skewer about 3-4 inches from the charcoal.
- Apply the baste and rotate the skewer. Repeat this for all skewers once.
- Grill for 4-5 minutes on the first side, then rotate and cook 4-min on the second side(total of 7 to 10 min). Continue to baste while grilling to keep the steak moist.
- Do not over cook. Serve immediately with persian flat bread or basmati rice.
Where Do I Get the Ingredients?
- Saffron Thread – Zaran Saffron Brand – Amazon Link, or grab it from most grocery stores (but make sure you get whole threads, not powdered).
What if I Want Kabobs in the Winter?
Anything that says grill on charcoal can be simply translated to cooking in the broiler – given you have a strong broiler. This means, be prepared from some trial and error till you figure out how much time works in your oven. Set the broiler to high heat and arrange the shelf to be the same distance from the heating elements (usually at the top of your oven) as the coal. Put in one or two pieces on a heavy tray or cast iron skillet and cook for the same time indicated in the recipe. Check the result by cutting into the meat. Adjust your cooking time to suit your oven, and cook the remainder of the meat!
