Bacon Koftas Food

GRILLED KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• For the kofta: Place 16 to 20 wooden skewers in a container of water and press down to make sure they're fully submerged, then soak for at least 1 hour.
• Grate the onion into a large bowl. Tear the bread into pieces and add it to the grated onion. Add the milk and mix to make sure that the bread is fully soaked. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Discard any excess liquid in the bowl (if there is any). Add the beef and lamb and mix into the bread mixture with your hands. Add the parsley, allspice, cumin, paprika, salt, sumac, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper and garlic and mix to combine until the ingredients are well incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• For the yogurt sauce: Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice, salt, garlic and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl until smooth and combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
• Divide the meat mixture into 16 to 20 pieces and roll each piece into a cylinder. Press a skewer into each cylinder and shape the mixture around the skewer, making it about 1 inch thick. Place the skewers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the kofta until nicely grill-marked and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve with the yogurt sauce, warm pita, tomatoes, parsley and onions.

KOFTA KEBABS WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear mixture to a coarse paste. Mix the paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.
• Line a pan with aluminum foil. Divide the meat mixture into 28 rough balls. Mold each piece around the pointed end of a skewer (if you use wooden ones, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading them), making a 2-inch oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. Lay the skewers on the pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
• Heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and flat bread.
• If you're using plain whole milk yogurt, line a small sieve with a coffee filter. Put the yogurt in it, set it over a bowl, and refrigerate 12 hours. Discard the expressed liquid and put yogurt in the bowl.
• Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons salt and rub into the cucumber with your hands. Set aside 20 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers to express as much liquid as possible.
• Smash the garlic, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mint into the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

TURKISH MEATBALLS (KOFTA)

Steps:

• Make the bread crumbs by breaking up 2 slices of stale but not dried out whole wheat bread into the bowl of a food processor.
• Whizz until finely crumbed.
• Add the ground lamb and the egg, and process until blended.
• Add the spices, garlic and parsley.
• Process the meat well to achieve a fine texture.
• Roll the mixture into small meatballs (I use a melonballer) or finger shaped patties using dampened hands.
• You may cook them at once, or refrigerate the mixture for several hours.
• (If your meat is very fresh, you can divide it in half and wrap part well in plastic for the next day's meal.) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and fry the balls or patties until cooked through and evenly browned.
• The meatballs should be stirred several times, the patties turned once.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon to drain.
• Serve the meatballs hot or at room temperature as an appetizer.
• Lovely with a yogurt or tahini sauce, on a bed of rice or in a pita.

KOFTA

Steps:

• Combine the onions and garlic with the beef and begin to knead.
• Add the spices and knead with wet hands for 10 to fifteen minutes, or until it is very VERY smooth.
• Mold into small sausage shapes.
• Either cook on the grill for about 10 minutes, or broil in the oven for fifteen.
• Great with tomato and cucumber salad, pita bread, hummus, yogurt and cucumber salad -- .

BACON KOFTAS

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a food processor with the breadcrumbs, spring onions, parsley, lemon rind, egg white and pepper.
• Process the mixture until it is finely chopped and begins to bind together.
• Divide the mixture into 8 even sized pieces and shape into long ovals around 8 soaked bamboo skewers.
• Sprinkle the koftas with paprika on a barbecue for 8-10 minutes, until browned and cooked through.