Kabab Chenjeh (Persian Veal Kebab Skewers)

• 1 kg veal striploin (eye of the loin)
• 150 g onion, thinly sliced (squeezed for its juice, not eaten)
• 12 g salt (about 2 tsp)
• 1 g ground black pepper
• 1 g ground red pepper
• 1 heaped tbsp plain yoghurt
• 1 heaped tbsp thick breakfast cream (khameh)
• a little butter, for brushing (about 1 tbsp)

Method

The cook speaks Persian; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. The video’s English subtitles come on by themselves.

1. Choose veal striploin with bright red meat and white fat. Trim it and cut it across the grain into slices 3–4 cm thick; cutting along the grain makes the kebab tough. 0:10
2. Pound each slice gently, still across the grain, to break up the fibres, then cut it across the grain again into chunky kebab pieces. 2:01
3. For each kilo of meat, toss 150 g thinly sliced onion with 12 g salt, 2 g mixed black and red pepper, a heaped spoon of yoghurt and one of cream. Squeeze the onion hard with your hands until its juice runs. 3:35
4. Add the meat and mix so the onion juice coats every piece. Do not add oil. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours; longer makes it more tender. 4:36
5. Lift the meat out of the onion and thread it onto flat skewers with the softer sides facing up and down. Tap the skewered meat lightly on both sides with a meat mallet, then press the sides in with a knife so each kebab is neat and even. 5:42
6. Grill over gentle charcoal heat, turning. When half cooked, brush with butter, then finish until browned outside and juicy inside. 7:50

Tip. Serve with grilled tomatoes, fresh herbs and onion; chelow rice or lavash is the usual partner, a big salad keeps it low in carbs. Serves 4 is our estimate for 1 kg of meat. Lamb loin works the same way.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.