DASH-friendly Lebanese kafta — spiced ground meat kebabs with a killer garlic sauce. Serve with tabbouleh and hummus for a full spread.

Ingredients

Kafta:

  • 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)
  • 1 lb ground lamb (or all beef)
  • 1 medium onion, grated and squeezed dry
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Metal or soaked wooden skewers

Toum (Garlic Sauce):

  • 1 head garlic, cloves peeled
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil (avocado or light olive)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons ice water

Quick Tabbouleh:

  • 1 cup fine bulgur wheat, cooked and cooled
  • 2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, diced small
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Mix all kafta ingredients by hand. Don’t overwork. Shape into logs around skewers (or make patties).
  2. Make toum: blend garlic in food processor until paste. Slowly drizzle in oil while running, alternating with lemon juice and ice water until thick and fluffy (like aioli).
  3. Make tabbouleh: toss cooled bulgur with parsley, mint, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and olive oil.
  4. Grill kafta over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side until charred and cooked through.
  5. Serve kebabs with toum, tabbouleh, and pita if desired.

Notes

DASH-friendly: Parsley and tomatoes are potassium powerhouses. Allspice and cumin replace any need for salt. Bulgur is whole grain with great fiber. The toum is addictive — you’ve been warned.