Grilled beef kebabs with vermicelli rice
The kebabs of Israeli grill restaurants, cousins of Lebanese kafta: well-marbled minced beef kneaded with onion, parsley, baharat and cumin, seared on a griddle and served over Levantine rice with golden toasted vermicelli.
Ingredients for two
| 400 g | Minced beef, freshly minced by the butcher ask the butcher for mince with 15–20% fat, from the shoulder or neck; lean kebabs turn dry |
| 120 g | Yellow onions 1 small onion (120 g), grated and squeezed dry |
| 30 g | Flat-leaf parsley half a bunch, leaves only, finely chopped, about 8 tbsp |
| 4 g | Baharat spice blend 1 heaped tsp |
| 3 g | Ground cumin 1 tsp |
| 1 g | Hot red chilli powder 2 generous pinches (1/2 level tsp); use 1 tsp (2.5 g) for hot kebabs |
| 8 g | Fine salt 1 heaped tsp (7 g) for the meat, or 1.5% of the mixture, plus a pinch for the onion, discarded with its juice; the half stock cube salts the rice, or add another 1/2 tsp salt if omitting it |
| 2 g | Ground black pepper 3/4 tsp |
| 18 g | Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil 2 tbsp, or any neutral oil, for browning the vermicelli |
| 10 g | Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp, for the kebabs and griddle |
| 50 g | Wheat vermicelli (angel-hair pasta) a handful, broken into 2 cm pieces |
| 200 g | Long-grain rice (Persian-style) 1 large glass, rinsed until the water runs clear |
| 420 g | Water hot: 1 1/2 times the volume of the rice, plus 60 g for the vermicelli, about 1 3/4 glasses per glass of rice |
| 5 g | Chicken stock cubes 1/2 cube, crumbled into the rice water (optional) |
| 60 g | Lemon 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve |
Method
- Peel and coarsely grate the onion into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and leave for 5 minutes while you pick the parsley leaves. Squeeze the onion by the handful, or in a tea towel, to remove excess juice: it should be damp, not soaking wet, or the kebabs will fall apart on the griddle. Finely chop the parsley.
- Combine the minced beef, squeezed onion, parsley, baharat, cumin, chilli, 1 heaped tsp salt (7 g, or 1.5% of the mixture's weight) and pepper in a bowl. Knead by hand for 2 minutes, pressing the meat against the side, until sticky and evenly mixed, almost like a dough: this is the sign that it will hold together. Cover and refrigerate while the rice cooks, for at least 20 minutes.
- Rinse the rice in a fine sieve under cold running water, stirring until the water runs clear, then drain. Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil over a medium heat in a heavy-based, 18–20 cm saucepan with a lid. Add the broken vermicelli and stir constantly for 2–3 minutes until golden brown, never black; they colour quickly towards the end.
- Add the drained rice and stir for 1 minute to coat in the oil. Pour in the hot water with the crumbled half stock cube, or 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, stir once, reduce to the lowest heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Check: the water should be absorbed and small holes should appear on the surface. Turn off the heat, cover again and rest for at least 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Once the rice is off the heat and resting, shape the kebabs. With damp hands, divide the mixture, about 500 g, into 6 portions of 80–85 g. Roll each into a sausage 12 cm long and 3 cm thick, and flatten slightly on a board. Brush with a little olive oil, using a pastry brush or your fingertips. Put the griddle pan over a high heat as you shape the last kebab.
- The griddle is ready after 4–5 minutes, when a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately. Lightly oil the ridges using folded kitchen paper. Turn the extractor fan to full or open a window: fatty kebabs will smoke. Lay the kebabs in the pan without touching and leave undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until distinct brown grill marks form and they release easily. Turn with a spatula and cook for another 3–4 minutes: they should feel firm and be cooked through but still juicy, with no pink centre and clear juices when one is cut open. Never press them, or you will squeeze out the fat.
- Rest the kebabs on a board for 2 minutes. Spoon the vermicelli rice onto plates, lay 3 kebabs on each and pour over the juices from the board. Serve with lemon wedges, with the starter salad or hummus alongside, Israeli-style.
Lighter version
- Long-grain rice (Persian-style) : 140 g
- Wheat vermicelli (angel-hair pasta) : 35 g
- Water : 300 g
- Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil : 9 g
In step 3, use only 1 tbsp sunflower oil to brown the vermicelli; keep the same amount of olive oil for the kebabs.
In step 4, use 300 g hot water for 140 g rice and 35 g vermicelli. Keep the same cooking time: 15 minutes, followed by a 10-minute rest.
Use 70 g rice per person instead of 100 g and one less tablespoon of oil in the rice. Keep the kebabs unchanged and serve more of the starter salad.
On your plate
Recipe
1042 kcal · protein 53 g · carbs 103 g · fat 45 g
Quantities per person
- 200 g Minced beef, freshly minced by the butcher
- 60 g Yellow onions
- 15 g Flat-leaf parsley
- 2 g Baharat spice blend
- 1.5 g Ground cumin
- 0.5 g Hot red chilli powder
- 4 g Fine salt
- 1 g Ground black pepper
- 9 g Sunflower oil, for frying or as a neutral oil
- 5 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 25 g Wheat vermicelli (angel-hair pasta)
- 100 g Long-grain rice (Persian-style)
- 210 g Water
- 2.5 g Chicken stock cubes
- 30 g Lemon
Cooking tips
Serve something fresh or creamy alongside the grilled meat. If the starter is not already a salad, make a small tomato and red onion salad with sumac: 2 diced tomatoes, 1/2 very finely sliced red onion, parsley, juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and a pinch of sumac, tossed just before serving. If the starter is not hummus, make a tahini sauce in 3 minutes: mix 40 g tahini, juice of half a lemon, 1/2 crushed garlic clove and a pinch of salt, then loosen with 40–50 g cold water until creamy. Spoon over the kebabs. If the rice is still firm or sticks to the base after resting, add 50 g boiling water, cover and wait 5 minutes. You can knead the meat the day before and keep it covered in the fridge; it will taste even better. Shape and grill in the evening. Slice cold leftover kebabs the next day and serve in pita with tahini, salad and amba. Without a griddle pan, use a very hot flat cast-iron pan for the same time, or bake on an oiled tray at 230°C for 12 minutes, turning halfway through. For the Iraqi Jewish version, use half minced beef and half minced lamb.
Israeli grill-house kebabs, cousins of Lebanese kafta, with riz bi sh'ariyeh, the vermicelli rice served throughout the Levant.
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