Best Iraqi Shish Kebab Recipes

BEEF SHISH KABOB

Steps:

• Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a zip lock bag, take 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the marinade and set aside.
• Add the cubed meat to the bag and coat well. Squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag then marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Add the veggies to the other bag with 1/2 to 3/4 of the marinade and set aside for an hour.
• Thread meat pieces into metal or bamboo skewers, grill until cooked. For oven baked see notes section below.
• Thread veggies on separate skewers and grill.

THE BEST SHISH KEBABS

Steps:

• Soak the skewers in water for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight. Pat them dry and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the vinegar, scallions, Dijon, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified.
• Put the beef pieces, bell peppers, onions and zucchini in a large resealable plastic bag. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade and pour the rest into the bag and seal. Toss the bag so the meat and vegetables are well coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Thread the meat and vegetables onto a skewer in the following order: beef, zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper and onion. Repeat the threading three more times, ending with a piece of beef (there should be 5 pieces of beef and 4 pieces of each vegetable on the skewer). Repeat with the remaining skewers and ingredients.
• Sprinkle the kebabs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill at an angle, uncovered, until deep char marks form and the vegetables start to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the skewers and continue cooking until the beef has reached an internal temperature of 125 degrees F when measured with an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the grill and brush the kebabs with the reserved 1/4 cup marinade. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

IRAQI SHISH KEBAB

Steps:

• Make a marinade by mixing the vinegar, olive oil, onion, salt and pepper.
• Marinate the cubed meat in the marinade for at least 2 hours.
• Put the meat on skewers and grill or broil for 7-10 minutes or until the meat is browned and cooked to your preference.
• SUGGESTION: While meat is marinating also marinate large chunks of vegetables (tomatoes, onions, green peppers or eggplant) in sauce made of equal parts of olive oil and lemon juice with a dash of salt and pepper. Thread these vegetables onto skewers and grill alongside the meat.

MOM'S BEEF SHISH KABOBS

Steps:

• Whisk the vegetable oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl; pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the beef, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
• Add the mushrooms to the bag, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and reseal the bag; marinate in the refrigerator another 8 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove the beef and mushrooms from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes; set aside for basting.
• Thread pieces of green bell pepper, beef, red bell pepper, mushroom, and onion onto metal skewers, repeating until all ingredients are skewered.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently and brushing generously with the reserved marinade until nicely browned on all sides and the meat is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.

SHISH KEBAB

Steps:

• Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Prepare a marinade by mixing the onion juice with the oil, salt, and pepper and soak the meat in this for at least 1 hour (Iranians and Turks marinate overnight), keeping it covered in the refrigerator, and turning the pieces over at least once.
• Thread the pieces of meat onto 6 skewers, preferably the flat, wide type, so that the meat does not slide.
• Grill over charcoal or wood embers, making sure that the fire has stopped smoking. Place the skewers 3 inches from the fire on a well-oiled grill. Or broil under a preheated gas or electric broiler. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, turning over once, until the meat is well browned on the outside but still pink and juicy inside.
• Serve the kebabs on top of a thin Arab flat-bread over sprigs of flat-leaf parsley or chervil; or inside a pita bread topped with a salad of finely chopped raw tomato, cucumber, and onion with herbs.
• Alternatively, place the skewers on a bed of rice or bulgur.
• In Iran the rice is garnished with an egg yolk presented on the half-shell. The yolk is then stirred into the rice at table. This is chello kebab. The Turks serve kebabs with yogurt as a sauce.
• For a Greek one, blend in the food processor 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 teaspoons dried rigani (wild marjoram), salt, and pepper.
• For a marinade inspired by Sidqi Effendi's nineteenth-century Turkish cookery manual, blend to a cream 2/3 cup olive oil, 2 onions, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• For another Turkish marinade, blend 1 1/4 cups yogurt, 1 onion, salt, and pepper.
• At the same time, broil quartered onions and tomatoes and sweet peppers cut into 1-inch pieces threaded on skewers.
• Broil whole medium-small eggplants at the same time, turning them until they are soft inside, and serve them cut open. In some Turkish restaurants in London's famously Turkish Stoke Newington district, they thread thick slices of eggplant between pieces of meat, and the eggplants have time to roast and become deliciously tender.
• In Lebanon they thread cherry tomatoes and pickling onions between the pieces of meat.
• Lamb cutlets, or chops, and filet of beef can be marinated and grilled or broiled at the same time so as to have a mix of meats.