Beef Koobideh Recipe
Two skewers of juicy ground veal (400g) served with rice, grilled seasonal vegetables.
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Ingredients
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Koobideh (ground veal skewers)
Rice
Grilled seasonal vegetables
Garnish & serving
Method
Koobideh (ground veal skewers)
Prepare onion
Peel and very finely grate the onion. Place grated onion in a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth and press or squeeze to remove excess liquid. You want the onion moist but not dripping.
Mix meat mixture
In a large bowl, combine the ground veal, grated onion, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, sumac (if using), ground cumin, and baking soda. Add 1 tablespoon cold water. Using your hands, mix thoroughly for 3–5 minutes until the mixture is cohesive and slightly tacky. Overmixing can make it dense, but thorough mixing helps the meat bind to the skewers.
Chill and portion
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 20–30 minutes to let flavors meld and to firm up for easier shaping.
Shape onto skewers
Divide the mixture into two equal portions. Wet your hands lightly with water to prevent sticking. Press each portion evenly along a metal skewer (or well-soaked wooden skewer) into a long, even sausage shape about 1.5–2 cm thick. Smooth any cracks so the meat will stay on the skewer while cooking.
Grill the koobideh
Place skewers directly over the heat. Grill for about 6–8 minutes per side, turning once or twice, until evenly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 72°C (160°F) for veal. Baste lightly with oil as needed. Total cook time should be about 12–16 minutes depending on thickness and heat intensity.
Rest
Remove skewers from the grill and let rest for 3–5 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute.
Rice
Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the rinse water runs clear to remove excess starch. Drain well.
In a medium saucepan, bring 2.5 cups water and 0.75 tsp salt to a boil. Add the drained rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Turn off heat, add 1 tablespoon butter or oil, fluff rice with a fork, then cover and let steam off heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Grilled seasonal vegetables
Toss the prepared bell peppers, zucchini/eggplant slices, and tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper so they are evenly coated.
Grill vegetables on the hot grill alongside the skewers or on a grill pan for 3–6 minutes per side depending on thickness, until charred at the edges and tender. Tomatoes will blister quickly—watch them closely. Remove from heat and keep warm.
Garnish & serving
Plate: mound a serving of rice on each plate, place one skewer of koobideh per plate (or two skewers split across two plates if serving two), and arrange grilled vegetables alongside.