Kafta (Kofta)

What do you do when you're bored of hamburgers, meatballs, tacos and your husband doesn't eat meatloaf? 

You hunt around for other ideas. Desperate for something fairly easy. And the Lebanese kofta from Silk Road Recipes was! You can make it with lamb or beef, and since we had ground beef, why not? 

I have a pretty extensive spice cabinet in my house, which made this even more simple. I was able to put together the Lebanese 7 Spice Blend that's critical to the flavor of this. You can find the link for the blend on Silk Road Recipes.

I served it with fresh naan, and a variation of tzadtziki sauce (basically all the ingredients, but no cucumber). It's going on the replay list! 

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Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 cup diced yellow onion 
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley leaves
• 2 tsp Lebanese 7 spice
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil only if cooking in skillet
• 1 large tomato or 2-3 Plum or Romas sliced

Instructions

• Put the ground beef in a large bowl with the chopped onion, parsley, Lebanese Spice Blend, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using hands.
• Divide the meat mixture into 6 to 10 patties or long fat fingers depending on the size you prefer. Feel free to use skewers if you like or grill without.
• If grilling, clean and oil the grill. Grill on medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Make sure to keep turning the kafta to get grill marks on all sides (See Note 2). If using a skillet over medium heat, cook and brown on all sides (8-10 minutes).
• If desired, add sliced tomato to the grill and cook along with the meat for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately with rice, salad, wrapped in a lavash (flatbread) or khubz (pita).

Notes

1. For a smoother kafta feel free to finely grate the onion and squeeze excess liquid out before adding to the meat.
2. If cooking in a skillet, add the oil to the pan and saute in a large skillet on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the kafta over and cook for another 5 minutes.