Grilled Beef Kofte

Name: Grilled Beef Kofte
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Africa & Middle-East, Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup, plain whole-milk yogurt; 2 tablespoons, lemon juice; 2 tablespoons, tahini; 1 , garlic clove, minced; 1/2 teaspoon, salt; 1/2 cup, pine nuts; 5 , garlic cloves, peeled; 2 teaspoons hot smoked, paprika; 2 teaspoons, ground cumin; 1 teaspoon, salt; 1/2 teaspoon, pepper; 1/4 teaspoon, ground coriander; 1/4 teaspoon, ground cloves; 1/8 teaspoon, ground nutmeg; 1/8 teaspoon, ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 pounds 80 percent lean, ground beef; 1/2 cup, grated onion, drained; 1/3 cup, minced fresh parsley; 1/3 cup, minced fresh mint; 1 1/2 teaspoons, unflavored gelatin; 1 large, disposable aluminum roasting pan (if using charcoal)

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By Andrew Janjigian

Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 2013

In the Middle East, kebabs called kofte feature ground meat, not chunks, mixed with lots of spices and fresh herbs. Our challenge: to get their sausage-like texture just right.

SERVES4 to 6

TIME1½ hours, plus 1 hour chilling

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We skipped the traditional bread panade in favor of a little gelatin to keep our kofte moist after grilling. And we added ground pine nuts for richness and to keep the kofte from being too springy.

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