What does kebab look like? Kebab: what is it and how to cook it correctly

22.03.2024

Who would refuse a fragrant piece of meat fried over an open fire? It is difficult to resist such a delicacy, especially for true lovers of meat products. In Middle Eastern countries, instead of shish kebab, they prepare an equally appetizing dish called lula kebab. What it is and what it is made from is probably known to many.

I would like to note that the oriental treat is firmly entrenched in Russian cooking. In almost all restaurants, the menu offers this dish in various interpretations, with the addition of vegetables and poultry. Of course, these variations are far from the traditional culinary dish, but they are all very tasty and worthy of a festive feast.

Lula kebab - what is it?

No meat-eater will refuse a good portion of fried “sausage” cooked on the grill. Oriental food is a bright copy of sausages, only much healthier and more natural. Popular in Central Asian countries and the North Caucasus. The delicacy is revered in Armenia, Tatarstan, Ukraine and even Russia.

Traditionally, the dish is prepared mainly from young lamb, or more precisely, the back part. For juiciness, it must be added. In this case, the meat is not ground, as for cutlets, it is chopped with a special chef’s hatchet. Then add the necessary ingredients and form tubes, which are strung on skewers.

You can even recreate the dish at home using a Dutch oven or oven. By following simple rules and subtleties, you will prepare a real culinary masterpiece that will make your mouth water. In this publication we will present very tasty recipes that will delight fans of cooking.

Lula kebab from minced pork in the oven

It is difficult for a city dweller to find young lamb in the store, so we suggest using pork. Choose something that is not stale or frozen. The hip or scapular part is perfect. Product set:

half a kilogram of pork;
lamb fat - 50 g;
onions - 350 gr.;
lemon;
a bunch of fresh dill.

Spices: a pinch of coriander, a mixture of red and also suneli hops, grain and salt.

Instructions

To make the pork kebab juicy, add fat tail fat to it. Pre-freeze a piece and grate it into chopped meat (take it away from the film and bones). Chop the onion and dill, you can chop the parsley. Transfer the workpiece into minced meat. Add the listed spices to the total mass and squeeze out lemon juice.

All that remains is to mix the minced meat thoroughly by hand until it becomes viscous and homogeneous. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for half an hour. After waiting a time interval, we begin to form “sausages”, periodically dipping our hands in water so that the meat does not stick and sticks together more easily.

If the minced meat is too liquid, add flour. We string each product onto a bamboo skewer and place it on a baking sheet covered with foil. Set the oven to 180-200C and bake for about half an hour. When one side of the “sausages” is browned, turn them over to ensure even baking.

A very tasty dinner will delight your family or guests. In addition to the dish, serve chopped fresh vegetables, boiled potatoes, and lots of herbs. The treat goes well with various sauces.

Lula kebab in a beef frying pan

Do not be alarmed by such an unusual method of preparation; it is in no way inferior in taste. Juiciness, tenderness and nutrition are preserved. All that remains is the choice of products. We will need:

kilogram of beef (fillet);
about seven medium onions;
a bunch of cilantro and parsley;
10 grams of dried barberry, oregano and rosemary;
salt, juice - to taste;
Armenian lavash.

If desired, you can add a variety of dry spices and seasonings, including basil, ginger and mint. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the taste of the meat will be lost.

Organization of preparation

First, let's prepare all the ingredients for lula kebab. What it is and how to prepare it was described above. Remove the film from the beef fillet, cut into portions (like shish kebab), add grated or chopped onion and all the seasonings. Finely chop the bunches of greens and place them in the minced meat.

Take a cutting board, moisten it with water, and form rolls. Fry the products in a frying pan on both sides until a beautiful crust forms. There is no need to keep the kebab for a long time, as the dish will become dry. All that remains is to wrap the “sausages” in pita bread, seasoned with onion rings. Serve with tomato sauce.

Chicken lula kebab on a dill stick

Over the years, the recipe for the dish has undergone many changes, but this has not made it any worse. For those who prefer lean foods, we suggest using chicken. White poultry meat is approved by nutritionists; it is distinguished by its delicate taste, low cholesterol and calorie content. Before preparing kebab, you should visit the hypermarket and purchase the following products:

half a kilogram of chicken fillet;
any cheese 50% fat - 100 g;
bell pepper - 2 pcs.;
two onions;
mineral water - 50 ml;
dill stems.

For aroma and brightness of taste, use garlic salt, black pepper, oregano. Also, don’t forget about the dill stems, they will act as skewers.

Step by step guide

It should be noted that the fillet does not need to be ground into mince, as it will fall apart when molded. Chop the chicken into portions, add chopped onions, bell peppers, grated cheese, and seasonings. Then pour in the specified amount of mineral water and knead like dough. Cover with a towel or film and refrigerate for half an hour.

While our minced meat is “suiting”, we rinse the dill stems. With wet hands, form oblong cutlets from chilled minced chicken and carefully string them onto dill sticks. If desired, you can roll in semolina or breadcrumbs. Place all the “skewers” at a distance from each other on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes. When serving, garnish with fresh herbs and serve vegetables. A delicious dinner with a touch of the East will conquer any gourmet.

Lamb kebab on the grill

Lula kebab is not at all difficult to prepare yourself when you know all the culinary subtleties, and it doesn’t matter what type of meat you make it from. By the way, it is made from mixed minced meat in an original and unusual way. The dish is made on coals, a convection oven, a grill, an oven and even a microwave oven. With patience and skill, you will be surprised how easy it is to recreate an oriental treat in your own kitchen. Required ingredients:

half a kilogram of lamb (back part);
fat tail fat - 100 gr.;
three heads of onions or red onions;
a bunch of parsley;
green onion feathers;
two sprigs of basil;
black pepper, salt.

Cooking process

Rinse the lamb, separate it from the bones, they are suitable for broth. Cut into small pieces, rub the fat tail into it, season with black pepper and salt. Let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour. Remove the meat, add chopped parsley, onion, and seasonings.

All that remains is to string the lula kebab onto the grill. What is it and what is it eaten with? Surely there is no need to repeat this again. Simmer over hot coals, remembering to constantly turn so that the meat does not burn. You can serve it with baked vegetables or in pita bread, it’s even tastier. We put some greens with onions on the edge, fried “sausages” on top, and roll it up. Decorate with cherry tomatoes, dill and cilantro. The aroma alone will make your mouth water. Bon appetit!

Serving rules, or what to eat with

In the countries of the East and the Caucasus, it is customary to serve the dish on a “pillow” of greens. You can garnish with pomegranate seeds and lemon slices according to your taste. Sauce is required: tomato, mustard, tkemali. It is not forbidden to serve the table with assorted vegetables, baked eggplants, and tomatoes. Boiled rice and potatoes are suitable as a side dish. In addition, there should be pita bread and bread on the table. The delicious recipes presented in the article will please you. Cook for pleasure, to the delight of your family and friends!

From Turkic lula translates as “pipe”, and kebab in Arabic means “fried meat”. Due to its oblong shape, the dish really resembles a tube of fried meat. Traditionally, kebab is made from young lamb. Chopped lamb (minced meat) is threaded onto skewers and then fried on a grill filled with hot coals to create a smoky finish. The result is thin and long fried sausages, very tasty, juicy and spicy.

In addition to the classics, lula kebab recipes made from pork, beef and even chicken, which can be cooked on the grill, in the oven or in a frying pan, are popular. To make it easier for you to understand all this variety, I will tell you in detail how to cook lula, how to knead minced meat, what to add to it, how to put it on skewers and properly fry in all ways and from any meat.

Rules for choosing ingredients

Use the right meat. In the classic version, lamb is usually used, although pork, beef or chicken, as well as a mixture of them, are quite suitable. The fattier the pulp, the juicier the resulting dish. It is important that the piece is fresh, chilled, but in no case frozen. When purchasing, pay attention to the color and smell to determine the freshness of the meat.
Omit eggs and bread. The dish contains only meat, fat tail fat (lard), onions and spices. There should be no eggs or bread. We are not preparing cutlets; there is no need for extra binders for minced meat.
There should be a lot of lard. Ideally, fat is added to at least 1/4 of the total weight of the meat, then the minced meat turns out juicy and viscous, and the sausages do not fall off the skewers.
Do not twist the onion in a meat grinder; it must be chopped very finely with a sharp knife. You cannot use a meat grinder or blender, otherwise the consistency will be too viscous and pasty, and you will not be able to firmly attach the product to the skewer.
Add spices and salt in moderation. Traditionally, only black and red pepper are used as spices. You can add coriander, cumin, fresh or dried herbs. It is advisable to grind the spices by hand in a mortar, then their aroma will be more pronounced. You need to add salt in moderation, otherwise there is a risk of depriving the kebab of its juiciness.

Lula kebab at home - recipe with step-by-step photos

You will need fresh lamb (or a mixture of pork + beef in equal parts). If the lamb was young, up to a year old, then, as a rule, its flesh is without a specific taste or smell. It is recommended to soak more mature lamb in vodka for a couple of hours. You will also need tail fat or lard, a lot of onions and spices. I'll tell you how to cook delicious homemade lula kebab in the oven. Try it - it's very tasty!

Total cooking time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 10 pieces

Ingredients

lamb or a mixture of pork and beef – 1 kg
tail fat or lard – 250 g
onions – 3 pcs.
dried basil – 1 tsp.
dried cilantro – 1 tsp.
whole coriander – 1 tsp.
zira – 0.5 tsp.
black pepper – 1 tsp.
red pepper – 1 tsp.
salt – 1 tbsp. l. no slide

Preparation

I carefully cleaned the meat of all films and veins, because if they are found in the finished dish, it will be difficult to chew them, and this is unacceptable. This is why store-bought ready-made minced meat is not suitable for us. I crushed the pieces through a large mesh - the result was the optimal grind for kebab, which preserves the juiciness of the minced meat.

Combined with onion, cut into very, very small cubes. It needs to be chopped as finely as possible with a knife. Passing it through a meat grinder/blender/grater is strictly prohibited! The pieces should remain dry and not release their juice when grinding, then they will make the minced meat juicy during the frying process. If you add the onion “gruel” right away, it will soften the mixture and the kebab will not stick to the skewer.

Next, the mixture must be stirred thoroughly and for a long time, for at least 15 minutes, so that the meat softens and releases the protein - it forms long threads that connect to each other and strengthen the stuffed workpiece, so the lula sausages do not fall off the skewers.

I added salt and two types of pepper, dried basil and cilantro, cumin and coriander seeds, mashed in a mortar. Once again, thoroughly knead the minced meat to evenly distribute the spices. Finally, I beat it in a bowl several times to compact the mixture and release all the air. I covered it with film and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours - another secret that will make the meat stick better to the skewers. The whole point is that the fat will harden, which means it will “grab” the fibers better.

The cooled minced meat remains to be strung (if on bamboo skewers, do not forget to soak them in water first so that they do not burn). I divided it into portions of approximately 150 grams. I formed balls the size of tennis balls and pinned them in the center of the skewer (here you will need a short one 35-40 cm long). Turning it slightly, I distributed the minced meat along the skewer, thereby forming a long sausage 3–3.5 cm thick. Try to compact it with your hands as carefully as possible so that there are no voids left inside - during baking, meat juice will collect in them, which can tear our wonderful kebab. The beginning and end of the sausages must be carefully “smeared” onto the skewer.

If you cook kebab on wooden skewers, the technique will be slightly different. It is more convenient to form a meat ball, insert a skewer in the center, and then roll the workpiece back and forth across the work surface/board/large flat plate. The portion will be smaller, 70-80 grams, otherwise the skewer will bend under its own weight.

All that remains is to bake the sausages in the oven. To do this, I transferred the preparations to a baking sheet - with high sides, so that the skewers literally hung on them and it was convenient to turn them over without removing them from the oven. It is advisable to line the baking sheet with foil, then you won’t have to wash it for a long time to remove drops. If there is no such baking sheet, then you can adapt any heat-resistant form of a suitable size or simply place it on a greased grate, and place a baking sheet underneath into which the fat will drip. At the same time, you can bake bell peppers as a side dish if you wish.

I cooked the lula kebab in the oven at 250 degrees for 15 minutes (the oven should be preheated to maximum). Turn over from time to time for more even cooking. It’s better to cook in portions, 4-5 at a time, then the heat will be greater, which means the dish will cook faster and more evenly. Hot kebab can be served directly on skewers, immediately from the heat, along with pita bread, fresh vegetables and herbs. A sauce would also be useful, for example satsebeli or any other hot, sweet and sour and garlic sauce would be suitable.

How to cook lula kebab on the grill

In the classic recipe, kebab is prepared outdoors, for example, in a country house, lit on a grill and fried over smoldering coals. So that it does not fall off the metal rod, is not raw inside, is well fried, but does not burn, you need to adhere to a dozen rules:

Finely chop the meat or mince it into minced meat through a meat grinder with the largest grid, add pieces of lard and diced onion. These are the 2 main ingredients of lula kebab, their proportional ratio is approximately as follows: 1 kg of meat - 250 g of lard - 3 onions. Among the spices, black pepper is required; all other spices can be selected to taste.
Knead with your hands for 15-20 minutes so that the maximum amount of protein is released from the minced meat, the minced meat becomes viscous and dense, then it will sit firmly on the skewers and will not fall apart. Beating with a kitchen machine is not recommended, as the fat will get very hot from the knives and the mixture will fall apart.
Place the bowl with the workpiece in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours - the cold test will benefit it, the fat will harden, which means it will be easier to sculpt. You can divide into portioned sausages, and then wrap each one in film. When you go on a picnic, remove the packaging when the coals are ready to save time.
While the minced meat is cooling, prepare the coals. To light the barbecue, do not use coniferous wood; it is better to use deciduous trees.
Organize 2 zones for frying on the grill: hot - with burning coals, warm - with smoldering coals.
Prepare the skewers - they should be wide, cold and dry.
To make it easier to shape the sausages, be sure to dip your hands in water before threading. It is important that the meat does not stick to your hands, otherwise it will be difficult to stick to the skewer.
Form the sausages not too thick so that they have time to properly bake on the coals. The optimal thickness is about 3-3.5 cm. The meat mixture must fit tightly to the metal rod, otherwise meat juice will collect in the resulting voids and the product will disintegrate.
Place skewers with raw meat in a grill filled with coals, first in the hot zone until golden brown. After a couple of minutes, move it to the smoldering coals area to cook completely. As usual, 12 minutes are enough for the lula kebab to cook. And don't forget to turn it over from time to time.
Under no circumstances should you pour water on hot coals so that the delicate minced meat does not absorb acrid smoke; it is better to take a fan in your hands and ensure free air circulation, then the lula will bake evenly.

That's all! Rather, serve the kebab directly on the skewers, placed on thin pita bread and seasoned with a bunch of fresh herbs. Fresh vegetables, pickled onions and sauce are appropriate. Lunch!

Recipe for lula kebab on skewers (video)

Lula kebab in the oven

Lula kebab is just as tasty in the oven as on the grill, although without the smoky flavor. There is practically no difference in the recipe, except that instead of an open fire, a grate and an oven tray are used.

Cooking principles:

The dish is prepared in the oven at a temperature of 220 to 250 degrees.
You can bake on small skewers up to 40 cm or on wooden skewers.
It is advisable to soak wooden skewers in water for an hour so that they do not smoke in the oven.
Lula kebab is laid out on a greased grate, and a baking tray is placed underneath to catch the dripping fat.
Cooking time is 15–20 minutes.

The cooking technique is simple: prepare the minced meat, beat, cool, thread tightly onto skewers or skewers, then place them on a wire rack and bake until fully cooked, turning from time to time.

Advice: Line the bottom of the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, then you will get rid of the need for a long time to wash the baking sheet from burning.

Lula kebab in a frying pan

Fried lula kebab, unlike those prepared in other ways, turns out to be the most fried and rosy. But it is also higher in calories, as it is prepared in vegetable oil. Here it is important to achieve not only a golden brown crust, but also to ensure that the meat does not remain raw inside.

Cooking principles:

It is advisable to cook lula kebab in a frying pan on wooden skewers.
It is better to take a large frying pan so that the products fit into it freely and it is convenient to turn them over.
Ideally, use a grill pan, but if you don’t have such utensils, then any thick-walled pan will do.
Only refined vegetable oil is suitable for frying; it does not burn so much and does not smoke when heated for a long time.
The frying temperature should be medium, then the sausages will have time to fry inside, and do not forget to turn often so as not to burn.

Preparation is no different from the classic recipe, except that the minced meat is strung on wooden skewers. Next, you need to heat the frying pan, pour in the oil, place the preparations in the frying pan, fry at medium temperature until fully cooked, carefully turning them over.

Advice: To remove excess fat, blot the fried sausages with paper napkins.

Minced meat recipes for kebabs

There are dozens of kebab recipes, each country has its own recipe, to which something national is added. The differences relate mainly not to the technology - it is the same, but to the ingredients. For example, in Iran, lula is fried from fish, flavored with saffron, lemon juice, olive oil and aromatic herbs. And in the south it is made from chicken, served on freshly baked flatbread with onion rings and mint chutney.

Magic Food has collected for you the most popular recipes that are popular in our latitudes. When you know the basics of the dish, the technique of cooking on the grill, in the oven and in a frying pan, all that remains is to vary the ingredients and enjoy the new flavor accents of a hearty meat dish. So, what kind of minced meat can you make lula from?

Recipe No. 1: lamb – 1 kg, lard – 200 g, onion – 150 g, dried basil – 1 tsp, dried mint – 1 tsp, sumac – 1 tsp, salt and a mixture of ground peppers – to taste .

Recipe No. 2: young lamb - 700 g, tail fat - 150 g, garlic - 1 head, onions - 2 pcs., red hot pepper - 1 tsp, dried basil - 2 tsp, coriander - 1 tsp. , wine vinegar and lemon juice - 1 tsp each, salt - to taste.

Recipe No. 3: lamb – 500 g, lard – 150 g, large onion – 1 piece, garlic – 2 cloves, fresh dill and cilantro – half a bunch each, coriander – 0.5 tsp, salt and black pepper – to taste .

Pork kebab

Recipe No. 1: pork - 700 g, lard - 100 g, onions - 2 pcs., garlic - 2 teeth, green onions - 3-4 feathers, cilantro - 4-5 sprigs, salt, pepper, coriander and basil - to taste.

Recipe No. 2: minced pork - 1 kg, lard - 250 g, sweet ground paprika - 1 tsp, onions - 3 pcs., a mixture of Italian herbs - 1 tsp, liquid smoke - 1 tsp, pepper and salt - to taste.

Beef lula kebab

Recipe No. 1: beef – 700 g, lard – 100 g, parsley and dill – half a bunch each, garlic – 6 teeth, onion – 3 pcs., spices and salt – to taste.

Recipe No. 2: beef – 1 kg, onions – 2 pcs., garlic – 2 teeth, ground black pepper – 1 tsp., sweet ground paprika – 0.5 tsp., hot chili pepper – 0.5 tsp. l, sugar - 0.5 tsp, salt - 1 tbsp. l., finely chopped bell pepper – 1 pc., diced small tomato pulp – 1 pc., cilantro – 2 sprigs, butter – 50 g.

Chicken lula kebab

Recipe No. 1: chicken fillet – 500 g, eggs – 2 pcs., hard cheese – 50 g, butter – 30 g, onions – 2 pcs., finely chopped sweet pepper – 1 pc.

Recipe No. 2: chicken legs - 1 kg, lard - 150 g, onions - 2 pcs., sweet ground paprika - 1 tsp, salt and pepper - to taste.

Recipe No. 3: chicken fillet – 1 kg, vegetable oil – 3 tbsp. l., garlic – 3 teeth, lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l., onions - 2 pcs., chopped herbs, salt and spices - to taste.

What to serve kebab with?

Lula kebab is served hot, usually without removing the skewer, placed on top of pita bread or wrapped in thin sheets so that they are soaked in meat juices. If there is no pita bread, then you can serve churek or other unleavened flatbreads. Traditionally, the dish is complemented with herbs and pickled onion rings, fresh assorted vegetables or baked eggplants, tomatoes and bell peppers. You can garnish with pomegranate seeds and lemon slices. You definitely need a sauce that will highlight the taste of the meat: tomato, mustard, garlic, satsebeli, and so on.

The sauce can be made from tomatoes, grilled on the grill and peeled, just chop them as finely as possible, add parsley and scalded onions, a little salt and a drop of vinegar, mix everything. Serve as follows: brush a sheet of lavash with tomato sauce, top it with lula, close the lavash and fry again on the grill so that the bread is crispy. Another option is to pour canned beans over the sausages and garnish with herbs. Beans will give the meat a piquant taste and make it richer.

For kebab fried or baked in the oven at home, you can prepare a quick garlic sauce, pass a couple of cloves through a press and mix with unsweetened yogurt, add salt and chopped herbs. You can simply dilute tomato paste in water, add spices, chili pepper and boil. And if there are 250-300 g of tomatoes in the refrigerator, then cut them into large slices, boil for 10 minutes, rub through a sieve to get rid of seeds and skins, then return the sauce to the stove, add hot pepper, sugar and salt to taste, cool, season with finely chopped garlic, dill, parsley or cilantro. Delicious!

Now you know all the secrets of the oriental lula kebab, which means you can have a summer picnic at home at any time. Choose a recipe - smoky on the grill, fried in a frying pan until golden brown, or incredibly juicy baked kebab on a baking sheet. In any case, tender tubes of minced meat will create a grand feast for your stomach. The main thing is to stock up on fresh meat, seasoning and a good mood. Have a delicious holiday!

There are a great variety of hot dishes in Turkey. It will probably be difficult to list everything, especially since each locality has its own culinary specialties. Let's try to highlight the main types of hot dishes

KEBABS (kebap, or kebab)

- the most common hot dish in Turkey. It comes from ancient times and the nomadic way of life of the Turkic peoples. There are a huge variety of types of kebabs: these can be pieces of meat baked on the grill; stewed pieces of meat; fried meat, cut into shavings; meat cooked on a skewer. Kebabs in Turkey are prepared from both meat (lamb, beef, goat) and fish, game, seafood, and vegetables. The method of preparing kebabs is also varied: grilled, stewed, fried, in tandoor. Kebabs are also made from minced meat. Kebab cooked on a skewer is called shish kebab (şiş kebap).

Each region of Turkey boasts its own kebab preparation. But to try this or that type of kebab, you don’t have to go to a specific area. Often the types of most popular kebabs are prepared throughout Turkey.

Adana kebab. Made from minced meat in the form of flat long strips. There is a recipe for adana kebab on the forum

Urfa kebab - urfa kebap. On the forum you can see the recipe for Urfa kebab. Prepared from minced meat on a skewer. The spiciest kebab I've ever tried. In general, in Sanliurfa, pepper is so popular that, in my opinion, they put it in ice cream and compote.

Pieces of meat cooked on a skewer. Served with flatbreads

Kushbashi (Kuşbaşı)- meat cooked on a skewer with pieces of fat

Kebab tests – testı kebap Cuisine of Cappadocia. Served in a sealed clay pot, which is broken using a knife. Inside is lamb with vegetables. In the guide to Cappadocia you can read about the cuisine of Cappadocia

Döner kebap- our, for some time now, dear, shawarma. See recipe for dener

- the brother of döner is very popular on the south-eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It differs from dener in that the contents are wrapped in a thin flat cake.

- thinly sliced meat on flatbread with tomato sauce. see Iskender kebab recipe

- small pieces of meat fried on thin wooden skewers. Served in quantities of approximately 10 pieces.

— pieces of meat with vegetables with a delicate yoghurt sauce

- Eggplant kebab. But vegetarians will not like it. Pieces of eggplant alternate with pieces of meat.

Not made from peaches at all. These are lamb cutlets that are wrapped in a thin layer of lamb fat before frying. thanks to this, the sheftali kebab turns out very juicy

Lula kebab is a traditional meat dish of the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Balkans. It is prepared on skewers, fried over coals, and therefore is a direct and main competitor to traditional kebab. Some gourmets even rank lula kebab much higher than kebab, thereby paying tribute to its tenderness, juiciness and richness of taste. We can quite agree with this, especially if we remember that lula kebab is made from minced meat (minced meat) and contains a whole bouquet of aromatic oriental spices.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to get out into nature, light a barbecue and cook your favorite delicacies with smoke. That is why I will tell you not only how to cook lula kebab on the grill, but also share the secrets of preparing it at home. Lula kebab in the oven is also very, very good and is guaranteed to help your family take a break from the already boring cutlets and chops.

Ingredients:

(for 8-9 skewers)

1 kg. minced meat
150 gr. lard
1 medium onion
1 tbsp. salt without a slide
0.5 tbsp. ground cumin
0.5 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. ground coriander

The classic lula kebab is, of course, made from lamb, but naturally, beef and pork are much more accessible to us. Personally, I most often use a mixture in a 1:1 ratio, that is, half ground beef, half pork.

Add finely chopped unsalted lard to the minced meat. Again, the classic recipe uses fat tail fat, but lard is a much more accessible ingredient, so we will use that.

Add very, very finely chopped onion to the mixture of minced meat and lard. Under no circumstances should you make your work easier by passing onions through a meat grinder, grating them or grinding them in a blender! The fact is that the onion pieces must remain dry and release their juice already inside the minced meat during frying. If onion juice gets into the minced meat earlier, it will simply soften the mixture, and you will never get the minced meat to stick to the skewer.

We knead the mixture of minced meat, lard and onions for a long time and thoroughly in a metal or enamel bowl. Kneading should continue for at least 8-9 minutes. This is done not so much in order to mix all three components, but so that the meat releases protein. The protein forms a kind of threads that strengthen the minced meat and allow it not to fall off the skewers. Long and thorough kneading of the minced meat is the main secret of real lula kebab.

After the minced meat has released protein, you can safely add salt, pepper, cumin and coriander. I would like to draw your attention once again: in my recipe the amount of spices and salt is indicated in level tablespoons. To evenly distribute the salt and spices throughout the entire volume, mix the minced meat thoroughly again.
Cover the container with the prepared minced meat with a lid or foil and put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. During cooling, the fat inside the minced meat solidifies - this is another trick that allows you to thread the future lula kebab onto a skewer without any problems.
Thread the chilled minced meat onto skewers. To do this, we form a cutlet weighing approximately 130-150 grams from the minced meat, prick it on a skewer, then slightly turning the skewer, distribute the minced meat along it and thereby form a meat sausage 3-3.5 cm thick.

When performing this operation, you should compact the minced meat as best as possible so that there are no voids left inside it. When frying lula kebab, it is in these voids that meat juice can collect, it will boil and tear our wonderful minced meat kebab. You should also ensure that the beginning and end of each meat sausage are carefully brushed onto the skewer.

Place skewers with raw lula kebab on a grill filled with hot coals and fry until cooked.
If you decide to cook lula kebab in the oven, then most likely metal skewers will not suit you, since they simply do not fit in the oven. That's when we remember small-sized wooden skewers. Using wooden skewers has its disadvantages. Firstly, they are very thin, which makes it look like a knife is cutting through the skewered minced meat. Secondly, the meat mixture sticks to wood much worse than to metal, which also does not contribute to the integrity of our kebab. To overcome these difficulties, I suggest using the method by which homemade sausages are prepared. In other words, I roll a minced sausage with a wooden skewer inserted into it on a kitchen board or on a large flat plate.

Transfer the lula kebab prepared for frying to a baking sheet. Place the skewers so that they can be easily turned over without pulling the pan out of the oven.

My baking sheet has fairly high sides, so the skewers practically hang on them, and the meat only lightly touches the very surface of the metal, it turns out something like an impromptu barbecue. If you do not have the opportunity to hang the meat skewers, then do not forget to lightly grease the baking sheet with vegetable oil before placing them.
Lula kebab is fried very quickly; it will take 15-20 minutes in the oven at 200 degrees.

Place the finished lula kebab on a dish and serve immediately hot. Along with lula kebab we serve herbs and fresh vegetables. In addition to this recipe, I also recommend watching

Lula-kebab (Turkic lula - pipe and
Arab. kebab - fried meat) - meat
a dish common in the Caucasus, in
Central Asia and the Balkans.
from Wikpedia.

Among connoisseurs and fans of delicious outdoor recreation with the obligatory barbecue, the highest aerobatics are, oddly enough, not barbecues, even the most exquisite ones, but kebab on the barbecue. And in fact, not everyone succeeds in achieving the perfect result the first time. And from the second too... Despite all the efforts, lovingly prepared kebabs fall into the fire from the skewers, and many prefer to take the simple route and fry the lula kebab on the grill. It's delicious, but it's not lula kebab!

Today we decided to tell you how to cook a real lula kebab: what products are needed for this, how to chop the meat, how to properly knead and beat out the minced meat, how to string sausages so that they do not fall into the burning coals, and how to achieve perfect frying when outside the meat is deliciously browned, and juices literally ooze out inside.

Those who authoritatively declare that true lula kebabs simply must be made from lamb are, to put it mildly, wrong. Lula kebab is an international dish, and each country prepares it differently. In the East, lamb is more common, but beef or pork also makes an excellent dish. And our culinary kulibins manage to cook lula kebab from chicken meat! On the pages of “Culinary Eden” you will find recipes from all types of meat, and our task is to tell you about the rules, subtleties and tricks that will help you prepare lula kebab to the surprise of everyone.

The first and most important condition is quality meat. For lula kebabs, you need to use only fresh meat that has not been frozen. Minced meat for lula kebabs can be prepared from lamb, pork, beef or a mixture of these types of meat. Ideally, the meat for minced meat should be chopped: cut the meat, cleared of excess fat and films, into layers 1-1.5 cm thick, place several layers on a thick cutting board and with two hatchets or chopping knives, chop the meat first along the fibers, then Turn the board 90° and chop it the same way, only now across the grain. Gather the pieces of meat towards the middle and chop again, turning the board 90°. Chop the meat until you have fairly fine minced meat. The minced meat can also be passed through a meat grinder with a large grid, but in this case too much juice is squeezed out of the meat fibers, and this makes subsequent kneading and beating out the minced meat very difficult.

The second condition for a successful lula kebab is lard. Its amount should not be less than ¼ of the amount of meat. There may be more, but certainly not less. It is the amount of lard that allows you to achieve the same viscosity of minced meat, when sausages strung on skewers calmly reach over hot coals, without trying to dive deep into the grill. Lard can also be chopped, but its consistency should be paste-like, so it makes sense to grind the lard in a food processor or using a blender. Select the type of lard to suit your taste: it can be lard or lamb fat.

The third component of minced meat for lula kebab is onion. Its quantity should also not exceed a certain limit. It's all about the onion juice, which can play a cruel joke and liquefy the minced meat to a state where it cannot be assembled even into something like a kebab. Therefore, the amount of onion should be measured based on the weight of the meat - approximately one third, no more. In no case should the onion be passed through a meat grinder or chopped in a food processor or blender, the minced meat will be too watery, it is better to cut the onion into small cubes. There is an opinion that you don’t need to add onions to the minced meat for lula kebab at all.

Special mention should be made about spices for minced meat. Apart from greens and salt, there should be nothing in lula kebab. This dish is self-sufficient; spices can overpower the taste of the meat. However, this is a matter of taste. But please add enough greenery.

That's all for stuffing products. No white bread, semolina or eggs! These are not cutlets. It is not additives that give the minced meat the necessary viscosity, but rather long and thorough kneading, mandatory beating and fairly strong cooling. You need to mix the minced meat really thoroughly so that all the ingredients form a homogeneous mass. Then you need to knock out the minced meat: lift the minced meat and forcefully throw it back into the bowl. The point of beating is to extract excess moisture from the minced meat. Some people use a plastic bag for these purposes, beating the minced meat in it so that splashes do not fly. Beat the minced meat for at least 10 minutes. You will see for yourself how its density will change. Then place the minced meat in a bowl lined with a linen napkin and place it in the refrigerator.

The prepared minced meat should be molded into sausages no more than 3-4 cm thick and threaded onto skewers. Or you can carefully wrap minced meat around a skewer or skewer, forming a long, dense sausage. To prevent the minced meat from sticking to your hands, rinse them in warm salted water. Punch down the minced meat, compacting it on a skewer, and place over hot coals. You need to fry the lula kebab quickly, almost constantly turning the skewers over the coals and achieving an even golden brown crust on the surface. The ideal lula kebab has a fairly thick crust on the outside and oozing juice.

Our site has already described how to prepare a grill with coals. Now about how to choose skewers or a skewer. Cooking lula kebab on flat skewers is risky; the meat may slip off. Lula kebab can also be fried on wooden skewers, on which it can be served immediately. The heat of the coals should be quite strong so that an appetizing crust quickly forms on the surface. Constantly turning the skewers, fry the lula kebab and serve immediately. Lula kebab is best served with vegetables and herbs, or you can wrap it in thin pita bread like shawarma, adding vegetables, herbs and sauce to taste. The main thing is to eat this splendor right away, without waiting for the kebab to cool down.

Well, the theoretical part is over, it’s time to move on to practice, that is, recipes. They are different, and in our article we will present all the options, even non-canonical ones. And all you have to do is choose the most suitable one for yourself and decide on a delicious experiment. And since the cooking process is described in detail at the beginning of the article, the recipes will only list the ingredients and their quantities.

Lamb lula kebab

Ingredients:
1 kg lamb pulp,
300 g fat tail fat,
4 medium onions,
1 tsp ground black pepper,
1 tsp (without a slide) salt,
1 tsp dried basil.

Pork kebab

Ingredients:
1 kg pork,
100 g wheat bread,
4 onions,
8-10 cloves of garlic,
2 tbsp. lemon juice,
salt, ground black pepper - to taste.

Beef lula kebab

Ingredients:
2 kg beef,
500 g fat tail fat,
5 medium onions,
salt, ground black pepper.

Lula kebab made from mixed minced meat

Ingredients:
1 kg minced lamb and beef,
5-6 tbsp. chopped greens,
1-2 onions,
4-5 cloves of garlic,
½ tsp. red hot pepper,
½ tsp. ground nutmeg,
5-6 tbsp. vegetable oil,
1 tbsp. milk,
salt, spices - to taste.

Lamb lula kebab

Ingredients:
1.5 kg lamb,
100 g fat tail fat,
100 g onions,
100 g green onions,
½ bunch of greens,
tar, pepper - to taste.

Chicken lula kebab

Ingredients:
2 kg chicken meat,
2 onions,
2 sprigs of basil,
1 tsp cumin,
2 tbsp. 6% vinegar,
salt, pepper - to taste.

Beef lula kebab

Ingredients:
1 kg fatty beef,
300 g onions,
100-150 g lard,
1 tbsp. starch,
1 tsp dried barberry,
1 tsp dried parsley,
salt, ground black pepper, fresh herbs - to taste.

The cooking principle in all these recipes does not differ from the classic one: chop the meat, lard and onions, thoroughly knead the minced meat with the addition of all the spices and beat it, then cool. And what happens next depends on sleight of hand. Try cooking a real lula kebab on the grill and be amazed!

Bon appetit!

Larisa Shuftaykina