Kafta Meshwiyeh

Step 1

Place the lamb in a large bowl, add the parsley, mint, minced onion, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.

Step 2

Use your hands to squish and mix the ingredients together until the herbs are evenly distributed and the mixture holds together, about 2 minutes of constant mixing.

Step 3

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each one into a 4-inch-long cylinder around a metal skewer, squeezing gently so it stays on the skewer and doesn't fall off when lifted.

Step 4

Brush the kafta all over with the olive oil, making sure every side gets a light coating.

Step 5

Place a grill grate or grill pan over medium-high heat and wait 3 minutes until it is very hot and you can feel strong heat radiating from it when you hold your hand 2 inches above the surface.

Step 6

Lay the skewered kafta on the hot grate and listen for a sizzle; if you do not hear one, move the grate lower or wait 30 more seconds.

Step 7

Let the kafta cook without moving them for 3 minutes until the bottom surface is dark charred brown, like burnt toast.

Step 8

Use tongs to turn each skewer 90 degrees (a quarter turn), then cook for another 2 minutes until that new side is also charred brown.

Step 9

Turn the skewers another 90 degrees and cook for 2 more minutes until a second side is charred, so you have two charred sides.

Step 10

Turn the skewers one final time and cook the last side for 2 minutes until it is also charred, for a total cooking time of about 9 minutes.

Step 11

Transfer the skewers to a clean plate and let them rest for 2 minutes so the meat stays juicy when you eat it.

Step 12

Slide the kafta off the skewers onto a serving platter using a fork to push the meat from the handle end.