Most of the recipes I write and make require a certain set of standards to be posted on this website. I don’t mean like poo-don’t-stink, nose-in-the-air standards, but quite the opposite. It must be tasty above all else of course, but also fast, cheap, and/or easy. Those standards are usually all related, but if I can get 2 out of 3 then it A+ passes. This one gets a tick mark in all 3 boxes, well 4 if you count tasty, too. The tasty factor was also likely bumped up from the seriously un-lean meat on that griddle.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb. ground meat (we’ve used lamb, beef and buffalo with great success)
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 T ground coriander
• 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t garlic powder
• S & P (I like to use 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat)

Method

In a medium sized bowl, combine all the ingredients for the kebabs and mix together with your God given forks, yo hands!

Go get some metal skewers (you’ll need 5-6). If you have wood ones, I’ll wait for you come back from the store with metal ones. Seriously though, wood skewers need to be completely submerged in water for at least 30 minutes, otherwise they will burn, like what wood does best. Bleh.

Form the meat around the skewer, like you’re be making a lollipop, or perhaps a meat-sicle.

Turn the heat to medium-high, and heat up a griddle pan or flat-sided pan. If you’re using really lean mean, you’ll need some oil in the pan.

Place the meat-pops in your pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until very golden brown. Seriously, don’t turn them until they look as golden as the ones in the picture. Ok, now turn them and cook another 5 minutes on the other side.

I like to serve this with a tabbouleh, or a tomato, cucumber, mint salad and my favorite hummus at the moment, made from lentils and apricots…