Shish Kebab

Directions

1. 1
   Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes.
2. 2
   Prepare a marinade by mixing the onion juice with the oil, salt, and pepper and soak the meat in this for at least 1 hour (Iranians and Turks marinate overnight), keeping it covered in the refrigerator, and turning the pieces over at least once.
3. 3
   Thread the pieces of meat onto 6 skewers, preferably the flat, wide type, so that the meat does not slide.
4. 4
   Grill over charcoal or wood embers, making sure that the fire has stopped smoking.
5. 5
   Place the skewers 3 inches from the fire on a well-oiled grill.
6. 6
   Or broil under a preheated gas or electric broiler.
7. 7
   Cook for about 710 minutes, turning over once, until the meat is well browned on the outside but still pink and juicy inside.
8. 8
   Serve the kebabs on top of a thin Arab flat-bread over sprigs of flat-leaf parsley or chervil; or inside a pita bread topped with a salad of finely chopped raw tomato, cucumber, and onion with herbs.
9. 9
   Alternatively, place the skewers on a bed of rice or bulgur.
10. 10
    In Iran the rice is garnished with an egg yolk presented on the half-shell.
11. 11
    The yolk is then stirred into the rice at table.
12. 12
    This is chello kebab.
13. 13
    The Turks serve kebabs with yogurt as a sauce.
14. 14
    For a Greek one, blend in the food processor 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 teaspoons dried rigani (wild marjoram), salt, and pepper.
15. 15
    For a marinade inspired by Sidqi Effendis nineteenth-century Turkish cookery manual, blend to a cream 2/3 cup olive oil, 2 onions, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
16. 16
    For another Turkish marinade, blend 1 1/4 cups yogurt, 1 onion, salt, and pepper.
17. 17
    At the same time, broil quartered onions and tomatoes and sweet peppers cut into 1-inch pieces threaded on skewers.
18. 18
    Broil whole medium-small eggplants at the same time, turning them until they are soft inside, and serve them cut open.
19. 19
    In some Turkish restaurants in Londons famously Turkish Stoke Newington district, they thread thick slices of eggplant between pieces of meat, and the eggplants have time to roast and become deliciously tender.
20. 20
    In Lebanon they thread cherry tomatoes and pickling onions between the pieces of meat.
21. 21
    Lamb cutlets, or chops, and filet of beef can be marinated and grilled or broiled at the same time so as to have a mix of meats.