Kafta

Ingredients

Meat

• 800 glamb, minced with about 20 percent fat
• or half lamb and half beef

Aromatics

• 1large onion, very finely chopped
• 1large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspallspice
• 1 tspblack pepper
• ½ tspnutmeg
• 2 tspsalt

For the tray version

• 4potatoes, sliced
• 3tomatoes, sliced
• 1onion, sliced
• 3 tbsptomato paste in 300 ml water
• or 4 tbsp tahini with lemon and water

To serve

• flatbread
• hummus
• grilled tomato and onion
• pickles and raw onion with sumac

Equipment

• flat metal skewers, for grilling

Directions

1. Use lamb with about a fifth fat, and ask the butcher for shoulder rather than leg. Lean mince gives dry, crumbly kafta that falls off the skewer, since the fat is what holds it together and keeps it juicy over fierce heat.
2. Chop the onion extremely finely, almost to a paste, or grate it. This step matters more than people expect, since onion water makes the mixture wet and slippery and it will not stay on a skewer.
3. Use a genuinely large bunch, chopped fine, and use far more than seems reasonable. Dry the parsley thoroughly after washing, since wet herbs bring the same problem as onion juice.
4. Combine the meat, squeezed onion, parsley, spices and salt in a bowl. Now knead it with your hands for a good five minutes, pressing and folding rather than stirring. Take a handful and press it firmly around a flat metal skewer, working it along into a long sausage.
5. Use flat skewers rather than round ones, since round skewers let the meat spin freely when you turn them. Squeeze it on firmly with wet hands and press ridges along its length with your fingers. Cook for four to six minutes a side, turning once or twice. Do not move it for the first few minutes, since it needs to set against the heat before it will release cleanly.
6. Press the kafta mixture into a flat layer in a baking tray, or shape it into flat patties. Lay sliced potato, tomato and onion over the top. Pour over the thinned tomato paste, or the tahini sauce loosened with lemon and water.
7. Bake at 200°C for thirty-five to forty-five minutes until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned. Serve with flatbread, hummus, grilled vegetables and raw onion tossed with sumac.

Technique

• Parsley in quantity and warm spicing distinguish it from Turkish köfte.
• The onion must be squeezed dry or the mixture will not hold.
• Kneading the mixture is what makes it stay on the skewer.

Substitutions

• Beef mixed with lamb, which is common.
• Wooden skewers soaked in water, though flat metal is better.

Variations

• Kafta bi tahini, baked in tahini sauce.
• Kafta bel sayniyeh, baked in a tray with potato and tomato.
• Made into small patties and pan fried.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kafta?

Kafta is a main from Lebanon: minced lamb with parsley and onion, grilled or baked with potatoes.

How long does Kafta take to make?

Kafta takes 30 min plus 1 hr chilling of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kafta?

Yes, within limits. Beef mixed with lamb, which is common. Wooden skewers soaked in water, though flat metal is better.

What is the most important thing to get right in Kafta?

Use lamb with about a fifth fat, and ask the butcher for shoulder rather than leg. Lean mince gives dry, crumbly kafta that falls off the skewer, since the fat is what holds it together and keeps it juicy over fierce heat.