Armenian Lula Kebabs

July (Second Friday): World Kebab Day

Foodie friends Islander and her former classmate Olga W. from Ukraine would sometimes venture out together into Chicago, Illinois, and Northwest Indiana where there are numerous ethnic eateries. Olga suggested going to an Armenian café for lunch one day. They ordered different dishes so they could share and taste them all. One food item they got was lula kebabs—spiced ground meat on sticks. They tasted similar to kotlety that Olga grew up eating. But something about grilled meat on sticks made the food feel more fun and festive—especially when shared with friends! So skewer some meat and celebrate World Kebab Day with Armenian-style lula kebabs! 

Recipe

(Adapted from MyRecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground meat (beef sirloin or lamb or a combination of the two)
• 2 cups onion, chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped finely
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ lemon, juiced

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, crumble the ground meat. Mix in the chopped onions and parsley.

Add the mint, cumin and garlic powder.

Stir in the paprika, salt, pepper, egg and tomato paste.

Squeeze in the lemon juice. Mix well. Use ¼ cup of the meat mixture to form a ball. Then stretch out into an oblong shape.

Carefully thread the meat mixture into a skewer all the way to the top point, leaving 3 inches of space from the bottom. Repeat to make the rest of the kebabs. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (overnight is better) to firm up the meat.

Heat the grill to 450-500 degrees. Place the kebabs on the grate and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, leaving some char marks. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with extra chopped fresh parsley leaves. Serve hot. Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 dozen kebabs.