Kebab, Kabab, Kebob, Kabob
I still can’t figure out which way to write it. Kebab, Kebob, Kabob, Kabab, Kabob? There are so many variations of kabob in the world! Particularly in the Middle East.
Growing up, I always ate BEEF kabob koobideh (or chelo kabab: white rice with kabob) at home and in restaurants. Born and raised in San Diego, CA, just a drive away from Tehrangeles, aka Los Angeles, which has a huge Iranian community. I ate super succulent, juicy kabobs, dry kabobs, ground beef “koobideh” kabobs, filet mignon (barg) kabobs, chicken joojeh kabobs, and shish kabobs (chunks of meat on the skewer). I was also surrounded by Lebanese friends, so I’d be eating Kafta too (their variation of kabob). I’m making myself hungry now lol
Then add in the fact that kabob can come in all shapes and sizes. Kabob koobideh is ground skewered meat. It is molded onto the long skewer by hand then put on a charcoal grill. Lots of flames! If you don’t want to grill or bother with the skewers, you can form “patties” by hand and slap them into kabobs (as my dad did in the photo above). Kabob deegi, or tabei, is pan kabob. You form the ground meat into a hot pan and sear/cook it inside the pan, then slice it long into the shape of koobideh or skewered kabob, and flip inside the pan; ultimately resulting in a giant circular kabob already pre-sliced (seen below).
Kabab Tabei by igotitfrommymaman food blog
Now when it comes to recipes… it’s so hard to decide what is best! Do you solely use beef? Do you mix beef with lamb? Does the kabob mixture contain herbs? Or just shredded onion? Do you add garlic or not? Does the meat mixture need to be bound by an egg? And what cut of beef do you choose?
What I find is if you want to have a really tasty, fatty, juicy kabob, the mixture of ground beef and lamb is best! My dad’s tip is: top sirloin is “best tasting” beef, but lean. Hamburger meat (80/20 or 70/30) is fattier, and the fat makes it softer and juicier. I think using an egg in most recipes such as the kabob mince mixture, or even gnocchi, is not necessary. The egg is added in as a binder, but can seriously do without it if kneaded well and properly. And if you skip the egg, crack the raw yolk onto your rice if you want to really be Persian.
Check out Persian Mama as she demonstrates how to make traditional Persian Kabob Koobideh with photos and everything.
When it comes to Turkish kabob, I find the flavor to have many more spices compared to Persian kabob. Persian kabob typically has some or all of the following: turmeric (most Iranian recipes do), saffron, sumac, onion pulp (acid also acts as a tenderizer), salt and pepper. And if the shredded onion inside the meat mixture isn’t enough, you eat raw red onion alongside the kabob too lol! PRO TIP: While shredding onion, breathe through your mouth instead of your nose and you shouldn’t cry. Try it!
What makes Turkish kabob, aka Köfte stand out is the amount of red pepper or chili powder they add into the meat mixture. Watch one of my favorite YouTube channels Alex French Guy Cooking on his visit to Turkey where he learns how to make Köfte. In this video I learned they use baking soda to puff up the kabob, which I’m sure a lot of restaurants in LA do (not sure if they do in Iran, have yet to visit). With Lebanese kafta, I taste more cinnamon or allspice in most ground meat recipes, and from my perspective, they LOVE garlic. Both use parsley, which is delicious as well.
Then, of course, moving to Miami, I’ve been slowly introduced to Russian cuisine. I tried Uzbek kabob (from Uzbekistan North of Iran), seasoned similar to that of Turkey. Which is your favorite?
