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Kabab barg
Kabab barg (کباب برگ): saffron-onion lamb fillet kebabs on wide skewers
Kabab barg is the prized kebab of Tehran's old chelow-kababi restaurants, ordered for celebrations and served on a mound of buttery-looking saffron rice with grilled tomatoes and a raw egg yolk for those who like it. The name means 'leaf kebab': lamb loin or beef fillet is pounded into thin sheets, marinated overnight in onion juice and saffron, then threaded flat on wide sword skewers and grilled fast over hot charcoal. It is tender enough to cut with the edge of a spoon. A common mistake is leaving onion pieces in the marinade; they burn on the grill, so use only the juice. Chef's tip: score the meat lightly in a criss-cross with the back of a knife; it stops the strips curling and lets the marinade in.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the kebabs
To serve
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Cut 1 ¾ lb lamb loin or beef fillet against the grain into strips about 4 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick. Lay them between sheets of cling film and pound with a meat mallet to about 5 mm thick. Score both sides lightly in a criss-cross.
15 minStep 2: Grate 2 onions and squeeze the pulp hard through a sieve; keep only the juice. Mix the juice with half the ¼ tsp ground saffron, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp black pepper.
10 minStep 3: Coat the meat in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Always marinate meat in the fridge, never at room temperature.
5 minStep 4: Light a charcoal grill or heat a heavy griddle until very hot. Thread each strip lengthwise onto flat skewers, pulling it taut, and sprinkle both sides with 1 ½ tsp salt.
10 minStep 5: Grill for 2–3 minutes a side, turning once, until browned at the edges. Lamb or beef fillet should reach at least 145°F in the thickest part and rest for 3 minutes; it should still be juicy and faintly pink inside.
6 minStep 6: Brush with the remaining ¼ tsp ground saffron as they come off the grill. Slide off the skewers with a piece of flatbread onto the 4 portions cooked saffron chelow rice, with the grilled 4 tomatoes alongside and 1 tbsp sumac for sprinkling.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kabab barg take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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