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Kefta, a Middle Eastern Hamburger
by Ramin Ganeshram
“To my palate, a kefta burger is better than a regular burger,” says Goldstein. “But then, I’m a Mediterranean gal!” This recipe is adapted from Mediterranean Fresh: A Compendium of One-Plate Salad Meals and Mix-and-Match Dressings by Joyce Goldstein (W.W. Norton, 2008).
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, grated (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons toasted ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pita bread
3/4 to 1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes
3/4 to 1 cup chopped peeled cucumbers
1 cup tahini dressing ( below)
1. Combine all of the ingredients for the kefta and knead together with your hands. Then form into two small oval patties per person, or 12 four-ounce kefta. Grill or fry in a cast-iron pan.
2. To serve: Warm the pita bread. Cut the bread in half crosswise.
3. In the bottom of each half piece of pita, put in about 2 tablespoons each of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice, and some of the tahini dressing. Then slip in the kefta. You may want to spoon a little more tahini over the meat.
Tahini Dressing
1 cup sesame tahini, Al Wadi preferred
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup cold water or more as needed
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne red pepper, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, optional
1. Combine tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in food processor or blender and puree.
2. Add water as needed to thin to a spreadable consistency for a dip, and even thinner for salad dressing. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne red pepper and cumin, if using.
3. To serve as a dip, spoon into a shallow bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley. (Some cooks stir the parsley into the dressing.)
Serves 6.
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