Best Grilled Kofte Burgers Recipes

GRILLED KOFTE BURGERS

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill or broiler; the fire should be moderately hot and the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Cut lamb into large chunks, and put in container of a food processor; process until well chopped. Add onion and egg, along with some salt and pepper, and process until quite smooth. With wet hands, shape into four kofte burgers.
• Grill kofte, undisturbed, until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. These can be medium to well-done and will still be moist.
• While meat is cooking, combine shallot, parsley and lemon juice, adding a pinch of salt. Serve the meat on rolls or buns. Garnish with shallot mixture and some red peppers.

GRILLED MEAT KOFTE

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler; the fire should be moderately hot and the rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Cut the lamb into large chunks and put in a food processor with the onion, a pinch of salt, and some pepper; process until smooth, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides if necessary. With wet hands, form into elongated meatballs on metal skewers or shape into 4 elongated "burgers."
• Grill or broil the kofte, undisturbed, until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side; these can be medium to well done and will still be moist (though I think they're best rare). Serve hot, with the lemon wedges.
• Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste) to the mix. After the meat is processed, blend in 1/4 cup pine nuts by hand.
• Grill or broil the kofte as directed. Prepare Fast, Fresh Tomato Sauce (page 606). Mix 1 cup yogurt with some salt and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Top the meatballs with the tomato sauce and yogurt, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
• Peel and thinly slice 4 large onions. Put them in a large skillet, cover it, and turn the heat to medium-low. Cook, undisturbed, until the onions are dry and almost sticking to the pan, at least 30 minutes. Then uncover and add 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or extra virgin olive oil, along with some salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost falling apart. Use this mass as a bed for kofte.

CHEF JOHN'S KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.
• Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.
• Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
• Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.
• Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve.

KOFTE BURGER WITH HARISSA AND YOGURT

Steps:

• For the kofte burger: With your hands, mix together the ground beef, onion, coriander, cumin, sumac, cayenne and some salt and pepper in large bowl. Divide the mixture into four 4-inch patties.
• For the yogurt sauce: Mix the Greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic, cumin, cilantro, dill, mint and cucumber in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cook burgers on a grill or in a skillet (recommended) to the desired doneness. Salt and pepper the burgers liberally and let rest for 5 minutes to ensure a juicy patty.
• Split the burger buns and spread about 1 teaspoon harissa each of the cut-sides. Layer with a burger, arugula and parsley. Top with some yogurt sauce and chow down!

LAMB KOFTA BURGER

Steps:

• For the tahini-yogurt sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, tahini, salt, lemon zest and juice and 1 tablespoon water. Cover and reserve in the refrigerator.
• For the pickled turnips: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1 1/2 cups water with the cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, bay leaves, garlic, beets and turnips. Bring to a quick boil to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve the turnips only; discard the beets, bay leaves and pickling brine.
• For the garlic butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and garlic and cook until fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the parsley and mix well. Set aside in a small bowl.
• For the lamb kofta burger: Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground lamb, garlic, onion, parsley, allspice, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together to evenly distribute the spices, being careful not to overmix. Divide into six equal portions and shape into a round, tight patties, about 4 inches wide.
• Place the patties on the grill, spaced 3 inches apart to prevent flare ups. Grill for 3 minutes on the first side to develop a crust. Flip, and cook on the second side until medium-well, 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Brush the cut sides of the brioche buns lightly with garlic butter and toast on the grill until golden and crisp, 5 to 10 seconds. Flip, and toast the outsides until lightly toasted, another 5 to 10 seconds.
• To assemble: Layer the bottom buns with a burger, some tahini sauce, pickled turnips, lettuce, tomato and onion. Cover with the top buns and serve immediately.