Kabab Barg Recipes

Steps:

• For the beef barg kabob: Grate the onion with a food processor or by hand. Strain the onion in a strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl and apply pressure. Keep the onion juice and discard the onion pulp. Add the lemon juice, if using, the olive oil, salt, pepper and saffron to the onion juice and mix with a whisk or a fork. We will call this the saffron marinade.
• Clean the filet mignon of any fat or sinew and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the filet to maintain a 1/4-inch-thick strip. Use the dull side of a knife to repeatedly score the filet, being careful not to cut into it; this tenderizes the meat. Turn over the filet and repeat the tenderizing process. Cut the filet into pieces 3 to 4 inches long and wide and 1/4 inch thick.
• Thread the meat on 1/2- to 1-inch-wide stainless steel skewers, arranging the pieces lengthwise, so that you get about 3 pieces on each.
• Place the skewers in a shallow tray, then pour the saffron marinade over it, reserving some marinade for grilling. Let the filet rest in the marinade for about 3 minutes, then turn and let the other side rest in the marinade for another 3 minutes. Repeat the process for each skewer. Wrap each skewer in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Preheat a grill for cooking with indirect heat.
• Mix some butter with the reserved saffron marinade in a saucepan over low heat until the butter is completely melted. Place the skewers on the grill over indirect heat and cook, rotating every 30 seconds, for 6 to 8 minutes. You can use a sharp knife to cut the thickest part of the skewer to see if the filet is cooked to your preference.
• Brush the saffron marinate butter over the skewers on both sides for extra flavor. Enjoy!
• For the tzatziki: Grate the cucumbers. (Persian cucumbers are very crispy and have very little to no seeds or juice and maintain the creaminess of tzatziki. Long English cucumbers are good; however, Mexican cucumbers contain a lot of juice and seeds and require extra draining.) Drain the grated cucumber through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Apply pressure to drain most of the juice until nearly dry. Combine the yogurt, olive oil, mint, vinegar if using, salt and garlic in a large bowl. Mix the grated cucumber into the yogurt mixture and stir with a whisk or a fork. Garnish with the dill. (Pomegranate seeds would also make a nice garnish.) Serve chilled with toasted pita bread for dipping.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in bowl and let sit for three or four hours.
• Thread beef on skewers and grill to your desired doneness.

Steps:

• Cut beef short ribs into long strips about 1/4-inch wide; kitchen shears are very handy here.
• Mix all other ingredients except olive oil in a large plastic bag. Alternatively, of course, a bowl with a cover is fine.
• Coat the beef evenly in the yogurt mixture and marinade for 8-24 hours.
• Wipe or rinse most of the marinade off of the beef and pat mostly dry -- you want a little bit of marinade to stay on, for browning, but not a solid layer, which would burn while the meat steamed under it.
• In a large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil on high heat. When it starts to smoke very slightly, put in three or four pieces of meat -- don't crowd the pan here! -- and brown on both sides, about one-two minutes per side.
• Rest on a plate in a very low oven while you cook the rest of the meat in batches.
• Cut the rested meat into bite-sized pieces; again, a good pair of kitchen shears makes this much easier.
• Serve over rice.