Kafta at home: shaping a mixture that cooks evenly

COOK IT AT HOME

Broiled beef kafta with parsley and onion

Kafta is a seasoned ground-meat mixture, while shawarma begins with sliced or stacked meat and skewers often use whole pieces. A small amount of finely chopped onion keeps kafta moist, but too much wet onion makes shaping difficult. This recipe forms short logs that are easy to turn and check with a thermometer.

Makes

4 servings; 8 small kafta

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

12 minutes

Additional time

Chill shaped kafta 20 minutes

A home-kitchen recipe to accompany this guide. Ingredient brands and equipment can change cooking times; use the texture and doneness cues below.

Ingredients

• 600 g ground beef, about 85% lean
• 80 g onion, finely minced
• 25 g parsley, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for the tray
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Step-by-step method

1. Place minced onion in a clean towel and squeeze lightly to remove excess liquid without drying it completely. Pat washed parsley dry before chopping. Combine onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander, allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Add ground beef and mix with clean hands just until the seasonings are evenly distributed and the mixture becomes cohesive. Avoid prolonged kneading, which can make the cooked kafta dense. Divide into eight equal portions.
3. Shape each portion into a log about 10 cm long and 2 cm thick. Place on an oiled broiler-safe tray, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Wash hands, the work surface and any utensils that contacted raw meat.
4. Set an oven rack about 15 cm below the broiler and preheat the broiler on high. Broil the kafta for 5–6 minutes, turn carefully and cook 4–6 minutes more. Check several logs with a thermometer inserted through the end: ground beef must reach 160°F/71°C.
5. Rest for 3 minutes on a clean platter and serve with lemon wedges. If the outside browns before the center is ready, lower the tray one rack and continue cooking, checking every 2 minutes rather than relying on color alone.

Helpful tips & substitutions

• Ground lamb may replace half the beef without changing the target temperature. Ground poultry needs 165°F/74°C and produces a different texture.
• A little fat is useful here; very lean beef can become dry before the surface browns.
• Make every log the same thickness. Length matters less than thickness when predicting cooking time.

Storage & make-ahead

Refrigerate cooked kafta within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F/74°C. Raw shaped kafta may be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking. Keep refrigerated at 40°F/4°C or below; shorten the room-temperature limit to 1 hour when it exceeds 90°F/32°C.

How to serve it

Serve with vermicelli rice, grilled onions and tomatoes, or tuck into pita with parsley salad and tahini.