One of my favorite items to make for summer holiday grill-outs is Israeli kabobs. I use beef, lamb or chicken, depending on what is calling to me at the market. Another option is to use ground beef or lamb fashioned into loaves to make Adana-style kabobs. Sometimes, I will mix it up and do a variety of meats on different skewers, especially if I am having guests, to accommodate varying tastes and dietary restrictions. The key factor is providing enough time for the meat to soak up my sumptuous marinade and become tender before grilling. I use a flat top grill, but this recipe could also work on a charcoal or gas grill, or even a grill-pan indoors. When marinated and coated with Israeli spices and accompanied with fresh summer vegetables, hummus and some pita or lavash bread, you can’t go wrong.
Did you know that it’s always a good idea to speak words of wisdom at a meal? This helps to elevate the activity from a solely physical one to a transcendent one. Get more Jewish food thoughts here.
Ingredients
For kabobs:
- 1 ½ - 2 POUNDS lamb shoulder or leg meat cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch cubes (will produce 4-5 cubes per kabob)
- 2 bell peppers cut into 1 to 1 ½ inch squares I use red, yellow or orange for color
- ½ pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 cucumber seeded or seedless, sliced thickly
- 8 long skewers soaked in water 30 mins prior to grilling
For marinade:
- ½ sweet onion
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 5 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon. za’atar
- ½ cup of olive oil
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
- Place onion, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and zest, black pepper, salt, za’atar and olive oil in food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour the marinade over the lamb and veggies and mix well to ensure everything is coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours (If time is tight, marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes).
- Assemble the kabobs by threading a piece of lamb, alternating with veggies, leaving space between the pieces for air circulation to cook evenly.
- Brush grill or grill pan with oil and heat to medium high.
- Place kabobs on grill, rotating each one-quarter turn every couple of minutes, until the meat is completely browned, from 7 to 10 minutes, depending on how well-done you prefer your lamb.