Moroccan Kefta

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Moroccan Kefta

Kefta is ground beef or lamb mixed with ingredients like fresh herbs, onions, ground cumin and sweet paprika, which are often used in Moroccan cuisine. Moroccans often grill it over charcoal, but it’s very versatile: You can thread kefta onto skewers, as done here, or shape it as a patty to fill a sandwich or even use it as a stuffing for dumplings.

Rating

Ingredients

  • 1pound ground beef or lamb (15- to 20-percent fat)
  • 1small yellow onion, grated with its juices reserved (about 120 grams)
  • 1/2packed cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2packed cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1/2packed cup mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 2heaped teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2heaped teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1/2teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of ground cayenne
  • Neutral oil, such as canola, for greasing
Set base servings to enable scaling:

Directions

If using wood skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. In a large bowl using your hands or a large spoon, very thoroughly combine the beef, onion and the juices, parsley, cilantro, mint, sweet paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne until uniform.

Take about ½ teaspoon of the kefta mixture, cook it (in a pan or in the microwave) and taste it to check the seasoning. Add more salt to the kefta mixture if necessary.

Take about 2½ tablespoons of the kefta mixture and mold it onto a skewer to form a log that is about 1-inch thick and 2 1/2-inches long, pressing the meat firmly to adhere. (If using long skewers, you can form one long log on each.) Repeat until you've used all the kefta mixture. Place the skewers on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the grill or grill pan to medium-high, lightly oil the grates with a brush, place the kebabs on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through and the meat releases from the grill. Serve immediately with bread and a side of vegetables or a salad.

Nutrition

Info
Trans Fat: 1 gramFat: 25 gramsCalories: 333Saturated Fat: 9 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 13 gramsSodium: 322 milligramsSugar: 1 gramFiber: 2 gramsCarbohydrate: 5 gramsProtein: 21 grams

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022578-moroccan-kefta