Ground Lamb, Ground Beef, onion
Best for: A no-filler ground-meat kebab for flatbread, herbs, and pickled onions.
Lyulya kebab depends on technique more than a long ingredient list: the meat is salted, mixed until tacky, chilled, and molded firmly around wide flat skewers. Onion and cumin do the seasoning, and the mangal does the rest.
Grill: Direct medium-high heat over charcoal; 425–450°F. Equipment: Mangal or grill, wide flat skewers, bowl of cold water, instant-read thermometer.
Ingredients
Chill: 1 hour. Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 1 hour 47 minutes.
Kebab mixture
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 lb ground beef (80% lean)
- 1 large yellow onion, grated and lightly squeezed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons fine table salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
To serve
- Warm lavash or flatbread
- Pickled red onions
- Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers
- Sumac (optional)
Directions
Mix the lamb, beef, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and herbs with your hands for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture looks tacky and holds together.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Cold meat molds better and is less likely to slip on the skewers.
Divide the meat into 8 portions. With wet hands, mold each portion around a wide flat skewer in an even sausage shape, sealing the ends firmly.
Heat the mangal or grill to 425–450°F. Lay the skewers across the heat and wait 2 minutes before turning, so a crust can form.
Grill for 10 to 12 minutes total, turning carefully every few minutes, until browned all over.
Cook the centers to 160°F. Rest for 5 minutes and serve on lavash with pickled onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sumac if using.
Grilling tip: If the mixture feels soft, chill it longer — cold, well-mixed meat is the binder; no crumbs or egg are needed.
