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Ingredients
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Koobideh (beef) mixture
For shaping and grilling
Method
Koobideh (beef) mixture
- 1
Prepare onion
Peel and grate the onion finely (use the small holes). Place the grated onion in a fine sieve or cheesecloth and press firmly to remove excess juice. You want damp grated onion but not a lot of loose liquid. Reserve any small amount of juice—discard excess.
- 2
Mix and season
In a medium bowl combine the ground beef, the drained grated onion, egg yolk, baking soda, salt, black pepper, turmeric, and sumac (if using).
- 3
Bind the mixture
Using clean hands, mix and knead the meat mixture for 5–7 minutes until it becomes tacky and homogeneous. This develops protein and helps the mixture stick to skewers. If mixture feels too loose, chill 10–15 minutes and re-knead.
- 4
Rest in fridge
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Chilling firms the fats and makes shaping easier.
Shaping and grilling
- 5
Preheat and prepare skewers
Preheat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to medium-high heat (around 200–230°C / 400–450°F). If using metal skewers, wet them briefly to prevent sticking and lightly brush with vegetable oil.
- 6
Shape onto skewers
Divide the chilled meat into 4 equal portions (about 87–90 g each). With slightly wet hands, take one portion and press it firmly along the flat skewer into an even 1–1.5 cm thick sausage shape, about 10–12 cm long. Compact the meat well so it adheres and doesn't fall off. Repeat for remaining portions.
- 7
Grill the koobideh
Place skewers on the preheated grill or grill pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side without moving, until nicely browned. Rotate to the other side and cook another 3–4 minutes. If using a thicker skewer or higher heat, total cook time should be 7–10 minutes, turning once or twice, until internal temperature reaches 70°C (160°F).
- 8
Finish and rest
Optional: during the last minute, brush lightly with oil to encourage browning. Remove skewers from heat and let rest 3–4 minutes so juices redistribute.
- 9
