This is a recipe I developed, featured in the New York Times dining section, as part of a piece by Julia Moskin called Burgers Without Borders.  These kebabs are savory and delicious and even good cold the next day (if there are any left over). Year-round you can tuck them into a pita with salad, but during Passover, when you can’t eat any more matzah, why not go Atkins-style and just have them with a crunchy refreshing salad?

SYRIAN BEEF KEBABS
Adapted by Lisa Ades
Time: 30 minutes, plus 1 hour for chilling

2 pounds ground beef (not extra lean)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 dashes cayenne
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/3. cup pine nuts
Oil to brush on grill rack
Lemon wedges  for serving
Lemony cucumber salad, for serving (recipe follows).

1. Combine all ingredients but oil, lemon wedges, and salad in a bowl, and mix to combine.

2. You can make these on skewers, but it is much easier to form them and turn them on the grill without.  So just form mixture into torpedo shaped kebabs about 1 inch by 3 inches or into small patties.

3. Lay finished kebabs on a sheet pan and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4. Prepare charcoal grill, or turn gas grill to medium-low. Spray or brush oil on clean grill rack, and set within a few inches of the fire. Fire should not be too hot, and rack should be at least several inches from heat source.

5. When rack is heated through, place kebabs on grill. Meat should start sizzling gently; it should not spit and turn black. Cook undisturbed until deep brown, several minutes. When meat lifts easily from grill, slide a spatula under kebabs and turn over. Continue grilling until browned on all sides and juicy, but cooked through. Serve hot with lemon wedges and lemony cucumber salad (when it’s not passover, serve also with pita bread that’s been warmed on the grill).

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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