There’s a deep-rooted wonder to when high-quality meat cooks over fire. The preparation technique shines with just about every protein under the sun, but there’s a special allure to lamb. The meat comes intrinsically flavorful, is welcome to spice, and turns out mouth-wateringly tender; no surprise it’s a favorite across the Middle East and Greece.
When setting out to make the tastiest lamb kebabs, you naturally consider what cut works best. To help navigate such a selection, Chowhound received exclusive advice from Peter Lipson. As the executive chef of Greek-American restaurant Gus and Marty’s in Brooklyn, he’s certainly well-versed in kebab creation. According to Lipson, “A leg of lamb works well for kabobs.” The cut requires some home-butchering, but rewards with the perfect consistency for the dish. Buy an intact leg a couple of pounds in weight, then slice away excess fat around the exterior followed by breaking down into cube-like chunks. With some simple seasoning, you’re ready to skewer and grill — just don’t make the mistake of marinating the lamb beforehand.
A leg of lamb crafts mouth-watering kebabs
When crafting a meaty kebab, a leg of lamb rewards with several ideal qualities. The cut contains fat — you should notice some visible white streaks — which lends moisture and flavor, but trim away some of the compound in order to avoid an off-putting texture. The fat also heavily contributes to lamb’s distinct palate, so throw out excess to remove the gamey flavor of lamb (but leave a measured amount so you don’t need to worry about dry, bland meat).
Furthermore, once the lamb is ready to sizzle, you can prepare the leg to the ideal consistency. Peter Lipson notes the cut is “strong enough to handle a high-temp grill,” so even if your chunks are on the smaller size, there’s no need to worry about an overcooked and burnt result. In fact, like beef, leg of lamb kebabs are “best served medium rare to medium,” says Lipson. Accordingly, he suggests letting the meat take center stage, going with only a salt seasoning. You can grill like a master without much prep work once you have the right cut in hand.
