Persian-Style Ground Beef Kabobs With Tzatziki Sauce

A warm combination of spices mixed with ground beef changes up the usual kabobs in this Persian-style recipe.

For the kabobs

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs  Verde Grass-Fed Ground Beef (80% lean or 85% lean)
• 2 medium onions, grated
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh lemon for serving (optional)

Directions: 

• Grate the onions, discarding the juice. You can use a fine mesh sieve to strain as you grate.
• Combine the ground beef, grated onions, garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, lemon zest, cinnamon, and parsley in a medium bowl. Add a few shakes of salt and pepper.
• Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 45 minutes. This helps the mixture to firm up and makes it easier to form your kabobs.
• For each kabob, form an oval shape of the meat mixture and mold it onto the skewer. Stretch and extend the meat carefully around the skewer, flattening it evenly around the skewer as you go. Take care not to make the meat so flat that it exposes the skewer.
• If you don’t have skewers, form sausage shapes instead.
• Brush oil over the grill. Otherwise, the meat will stick.
• Place skewers on the grill and cook approximately 5 minutes on the first side.

• Turn over and finish cooking until the meat is cooked through, another 3-4 minutes.
• Rest the meat for 5-10 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and tzatziki. 

For the tzatziki 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups grated cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Directions: 

• Stir all of the ingredients together.
• Serve tzatziki on the side of the kabobs, along with other sides such as grilled vegetables, rice, chopped salad, hummus, and pita.