The Briny Lemon: Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Cucumber-Chive Yogurt

Recipe updated May 2015

Lamb is great on the grill, whether as chops or kebabs. While chops are fine to cook directly on the grate above the flames, smaller pieces of meat and vegetables on skewers may stick to it and tear or fall off when turning. That’s where a griddle or grill pan comes in.

I used a cast-iron griddle to cook the kebabs, and the lamb and veggies still had that tasty char-grilled flavor. The key is to allow the cast-iron pan to heat up enough before placing the kebabs on it—about 10 minutes or so.

Tangy, cool Greek yogurt spruced up with cucumber and chives is just the thing to serve with the smoky kebabs. Serve it in individual bowls for each guest to use as a dip for the lamb (and vegetables). Just mix the few ingredients in a bowl and let rest in the fridge for a while.

Tip: Small pieces of lamb are often sold packaged as stew meat in the butcher shop. Those are fine to use for skewering, and if the meat is from a leg of lamb, all the better for grilling. Try to buy uniform pieces, then trim any excess fat as needed.

Trimmed Lamb Pieces

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Lamb

2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 rosemary sprig
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb lamb leg meat, cut into 1-1/4-inch trimmed pieces (about 24 total)
8 1-1/4-inch squares of red bell pepper
8 1-1/4-inch squares of green bell pepper
8 1-1/4-inch squares of red onion
sea salt
cooked basmati rice, for serving

Vegetables Ready to Skewer

For the Yogurt

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled seedless cucumber
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp lemon juice
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

For the Lamb

Combine the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of oil, rosemary, and black pepper in a heavy, sealable plastic bag. Add the lamb and seal. Turn several times to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours (and up to 4).
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Set a cast-iron griddle (or large grill pan) on the grate and let heat 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the lamb from the marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade). Divide the lamb, bell peppers, and onion and thread onto 4 skewers (soaked in water 30 minutes, if wood), alternating pieces on each skewer. Brush with oil and season with salt.

Lamb in the Marinade

Kebabs Ready to Grill

Grill the kebabs on the griddle, turning a few times, until the lamb is medium and the vegetables are lightly charred, 9-10 minutes total (or until desired degree of doneness).