All-American Kebabs (That Don’t Suck)

I’m not here to yuck anybody’s yum, but here in the US kebabs have room for improvement. If you look across the globe, most other places have “perfected” meat on a stick in their own unique way while the American version is often chunks of protein tossed mindlessly onto a wooden skewer with a random assortment of mismatched vegetables. As a proud patriot and kebab-lover, I publicly state that we need to put an end to this. Never fear, I think I figured it out. Let’s grill.

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STUFF I USE…

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Portable Single-burner Stove: https://amzn.to/3IytyjV

Butane Torch: https://amzn.to/48TkQra

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(Above) Is one way that I prefer to serve kebab. (Below) Are the “classic” American kebabs we all know and… love?

Yield: 6-8 skewers

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All-American Kebabs

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

Ingredients

Kebabs

• 2 pounds ground meat (beef, lamb, chicken or a mix)
• 1 yellow onion
• ½ red bell pepper
• ½ green bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Roma tomatoes (optional)
• Green hot peppers (optional)

Yogurt Sauce

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp reserved vegetable liquid
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, or dill)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Add yellow onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and garlic to a food processor and blitz to a fine puree.
2. Transfer the puree to a cheesecloth or press through a fine sieve to extract as much liquid as possible; set the liquid aside.
3. Mix the baking soda into the drained vegetable solids, then knead this mixture into the ground meat with salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. While the meat chills, reserve 1 tbsp of veg liquid and with the rest make a basting sauce by melting butter and stirring in the reserved vegetable liquid.
5. Prepare the yogurt dipping sauce by combining Greek yogurt, the reserved tablespoon of the vegetable liquid, herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. With wet hands, squeeze the meat mixture to remove any excess moisture, then form tightly onto 6 skewers.
7. Grill kebabs over medium-high heat, basting occasionally with the butter-veg liquid mixture.
8. Optional: grill Roma tomatoes and green hot peppers on the side until charred and tender.
9. Serve kebabs with warm flatbread, the yogurt sauce and vegetables if using.

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