Braised Oxtail

Kebabs, usually consisting of skewered cubed or ground meat, poultry or fish grilled over an open flame, can also be cooked in a broiler and don’t necessarily require skewering. The main feature that all good kebabs share, however, is that they result from a subtle blending of an array of contrasting and complementary flavors: pungent herbs, spices and vegetables, with sweet and tangy accents. In this recipe, raisins achieve this goal by complementing spicy and savory ingredients such as ginger, cumin, coriander and garlic.

Yield: 6 kebabs

Ingredients	Amounts
Wooden skewers (6 inch), soaked in water	6 ea.
Lean ground lamb	1 lb.
Garlic, chopped and fried	2 tsp.
Ginger, chopped and fried	1½ tsp.
Japanese-style bread crumbs	¼ cup
Cumin, ground	1 tsp.
Coriander, ground	1 tsp.
Curry powder	1 tsp.
Paprika	1 tsp.
Large egg, beaten	1 ea.
Salt and pepper	to taste
Raisins	2 Tbsp.
Pistachios	2 Tbsp.
Vegetable oil for shaping the meatballs	4 Tbsp.

Method

1. Mix the first 9 ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to shape.

2. Chop together the raisins and pistachios, set aside.

3. To make the meatballs, rub a light layer of the oil in your palms before making the kebab (this will facilitate the making of the kebabs and prevent sticking).

4. Take a walnut-size piece of the lamb mixture and roll it into a small ball. Using your little finger, press into the center of the ball to make a slight depression. Fill the depression with about a ½ teaspoon of the raisin-nut mixture and then gently work the lamb mixture over the depression to cover the mixture completely. Place on an oiled tray and chill until all the balls are completed; you should have 12 in total.

5. Skewer 2 balls on each of the six bamboo skewers. Using your hand, elongate and flatten slightly the shape of each ball along the length of the skewer.

6. To cook the kebabs, heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a sauté pan. When the oil is hot add the kebabs, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for several minutes or until the meatballs are well-browned all over. Remove from the pan and serve with your favorite chutney.

Note: The kebabs may also be grilled over a wood or gas grill.