Persian-Style Ground Beef Kabobs With Tzatziki Sauce

For the kabobs

1. Grate the onions, discarding the juice (use a fine mesh sieve to strain as you grate).
2. 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.
3. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 45 minutes — this firms it up and makes it easier to form the kabobs.
4. For each kabob, form an oval of the meat mixture and mold it onto a skewer, stretching and flattening it evenly. Take care not to make it so flat that it exposes the skewer. (No skewers? Form sausage shapes instead.)
5. Brush oil over the grill so the meat won’t stick.
6. Place the skewers on the grill and cook about 5 minutes on the first side.
7. Turn over and finish cooking until the meat is cooked through, another 3–4 minutes.
8. Rest the meat for 5–10 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and tzatziki.

For the tzatziki

1. Stir all of the tzatziki ingredients together.
2. Serve on the side of the kabobs, along with grilled vegetables, rice, chopped salad, hummus, and pita.