Shish Kebabs
Lahm Mishwy
Region: Arab Levant
Category: Lamb-Grilled
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Easy but special equipment needed and long cooking and/or non-working time

In Arabic, the shish kebab is known simply as “grilled meat” (lahm mishwy). Generally, it is not something one prepares at home; it is more likely a dish one would buy at a grill restaurant or from a street corner take-out. Palestinians and some Syrians have told me that they don’t marinate their kebabs, but simply intersperse the lamb meat with lamb fat and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. I don’t know how universal this is because this recipe, which uses a marinade, comes from my former wife, Najwa al-Qattan, who is Palestinian. The use of wine in marinades is found among Christian Arabs. Some cooks might add cinnamon, paprika, mint, allspice or onion juice to their marinade. The kebabs are served in pita bread (Arabic bread) or any other flatbread, topped with chopped ripe tomato and raw onion or on a bed of parsley. In Cairo, kebab grill shops sell the lamb by weight. A ratl of kebab is about a pound. The kebabs are served on a bed of parsley, perhaps sprinkled with cumin. The addition of tomatoes, onions, and green bell peppers on the skewer was a restaurant invention in perhaps Turkey or Lebanon to make the kebabs more appealing to diners.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 2:45 hours in all

1 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, with its fat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes     3 tablespoons finely chopped onions     1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil     1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice     1 teaspoon baharat       Freshly ground black pepper to taste     1 medium-size onion (optional), quartered and separated

1 green bell pepper (optional), seeded, cut in half, and each half in eighths     8 cherry tomatoes (optional)       Salt to taste       Eight 10-inch metal or wooden skewers       Arabic flatbread or pita bread for garnish       Finely chopped fresh mint leaves for garnish

1. Place the lamb in a ceramic or glass baking dish to marinate with the chopped onion, olive oil, lemon juice, baharat, and black pepper for 2 hours in the refrigerator, covered.

2. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 20 minutes on medium.

3. Skewer the lamb with the onion and green pepper pieces, if using, ending the skewer with a cherry tomato. Salt the lamb and grill until no longer mushy to the touch, about 20 minutes, turning when necessary. Serve with Arabic bread and chopped mint.

Posted: 01/09/2007