The 2 Best Cuts Of Lamb For Making Kebabs

When it comes to lamb, there are many ideal cuts for roasting roast, but what about for kebabs? You can easily order lamb kebabs at your favorite Mediterranean or Middle Eastern spot, but sometimes it's best to make at home where you'll have control over the spices and flavors, but you can't start without getting the right cut of lamb at the grocery store or butcher. To help with your lamb kebabs, Tasting Table turned to Chef Michael Costa, the concept chef at Zaytinya by José Andrés.

"We use loin for our baharat kebabs, which cooks quickly and is very flavorful, but another great option is using ground lamb, which we use for our adana kebabs," he says. "Ground lamb is easier to find in the store and you can season to your taste. For our adana kebabs we season the ground lamb with salt, Aleppo pepper, and paprika, super simple and tasty." To use loin, which we think is one of the best cuts of lamb, head to the butcher and ask them to cut it into bite-sized pieces or do it at home with your sharpest knife. Like Costa says, ground lamb is easier to find if you want to use this cut, but it will take some more prep work to use on kebabs.

To use lamb loin to make kebabs, use around 1 ¼ pounds of meat for every four servings. Like any other type of kebab, the lamb should be in bite-sized chunks. Lamb loin is a tender cut, so it doesn't need to be marinated before being formed into kebabs. To make it quicker, make a spice rub with seasonings like chili flakes, cumin, fennel seeds, or garlic powder. You can't go wrong with a marinade, however, which you can find in our spiced honey mint lamb skewers recipe that uses a blend of ingredients like honey for sweetness, lemon juice for a bit of acidity, garlic, and cumin.

If ground lamb is your option, there's a little prep work to form the meat into pieces to make the kebabs. Combine the ground meat with the spices that Chef Michael Costa suggests. Then form even balls with wet hands so the lamb mixture doesn't stick to you. Form the balls into your desired size then place on the skewers and cook accordingly. And in case you plan to grill the lamb, here are some essential grilling tips for kebabs, like knowing the appropriate type of skewers to use.