Harissa Kebabs

I love this recipe so much as it combines my Turkish grandma’s kebab recipe with the Moroccan flavors that my husband, Ron, and his family use to season their kebabs. It definitely brings the best of both worlds to this dish! The recipe can be prepared with ground lamb or ground beef (or a mixture of both). You can cook the meat on skewers or, for an easier, everyday version, shape it into patties—they make a great alternative to burgers. If preparing kebabs, be sure to knead the ingredients for about 5 minutes; this will help prevent the meat from falling off the skewers when grilling. If preparing patties, just mix the ingredients until combined. For a slightly sweet & spicy version, replace the Signature harissa with our Harissa BBQ Sauce.

Makes 8 skewers or 16 patties

2 pounds ground lamb or ground beef (80/20), or a combination

1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 medium yellow onion, peeled, grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid

½ cup toasted pine nuts

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons New York Shuk Signature Harissa or New York Shuk Harissa BBQ Sauce

2 teaspoons New York Shuk Fiery Harissa Spice 

2 slices crustless white bread, soaked in water and grated, or 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

½ teaspoon baking soda mixed with ¼ cup lukewarm water

Neutral oil for cooking patties

In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, parsley, onion, pine nuts, salt, Signature Harissa, Fiery Harissa Spice, bread and baking soda mixture. Knead the ingredients well with your hands for 5 minutes.

For patties: Using oiled hands, form the meat mixture into 16 patties, each about 3 inches wide and ½ inch thick.

To grill the patties, prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. When the grill is hot, either coat the grates with grill spray or stick a fork in half of an onion, dip it into neutral oil and rub it over the grates to oil the surface and flavor it. Place the patties on the grill and cook, turning once, until nicely browned and cooked through.

To cook the patties on the stovetop, heat a large grill pan or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon neutral oil, then add the patties and cook, turning once, until nicely browned and cooked through.

For skewered kebabs: Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions. Dampen your hands as needed. For each kebab, place one portion against the flat edge of a wide metal skewer. Squeeze the mixture carefully along both sides of the skewer until you have a kebab 6-7 inches long and about ¼ inch thick on each side. Using your thumb and index finger, gently press into the kebab to create uniform indentations.

To grill the kebabs, you will need to use a charcoal grill, not a gas grill, and you will not be using the grates. (With a gas grill, the kebabs would stick to the grates and fall apart.) Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill. Place the skewers on the grill so that either end of each skewer is resting on the edge of the grill and the middle is above the coals. Start cooking the skewers, flipping them every 20-30 seconds at least 2 or 3 times on each side; this is necessary in order to keep the meat securely on the skewers. Then continue cooking until the meat is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.