“Grilling out” is often thought of as a uniquely American tradition but every country and culture has their own version of the backyard barbeque. In the Middle East, shish kebabs are the barbeque treat of choice. Served with pita bread, humus, and many other classic sides, shish kebabs make the perfect family meal.
Ingredients for Shish Kebab:
2 pounds of boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of fat
1 large red onion
3 bell peppers, various colors
Ingredients for Marinade:
10 fresh mint leaves
1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
Directions
1) In a food processor, mince the mint, rosemary, lemon juice, zest, and garlic. Slowly drizzle in olive oil. Add salt and pepper.
2) Cut the lamb into 1-inch pieces. Put in a large ziploc bag with rosemary-mint marinade. Let lamb sit in refrigerator overnight.
3) Prepare the grill to a high heat and be sure the grill rack is hot.
4) Cut the onion and bell pepper into 1-inch pieces.
5) Take a metal grill skewer and thread it with 1 piece of lamb, 1 piece of onion, and 2 pieces of different color bell pepper. Repeat the sequence two more times. Use around 12 skewers.
6) Grill the kebabs uncovered for a total of 8 minutes. Every 2 minutes be sure to rotate the kebab with one-quarter turns.
*Recipe by Shelley Neese, vice president of The Jerusalem Connection. Click here for her articles and videos.
