I made doner kebabs!!
Discussion
My Dad told me that the "elephant leg" kebabs in your typical kebab shop are actually made from fairly good quality lamb and arent all ears and a
holes as I had always assumed (not that they arent yummy for all the ear+bum content).
So I did a bit of digging, found a couple of different methods and has a stab at making my own kebabs with some known decent quality ingredients.
Its essentially a lamb burger recipe, very finely chopped onions, lamb mince, cumin, corriander, garlic salt.
Wrap in cling film and bung in a bain-marie for 30-45 mins, not having one of those I found a nifty method using some empty tin cans in a tray of boiling water in the oven. worked a treat.
Once cooked (I used a meat thermometer to check) whip them out to rest for a bit.
Then skewer them and finish on the grill, BBQ or with a blow torch!
Tasted very good indeed, and surprisingly very very close to the shop bought stuff, so maybe there's something in my dads theory!
Anyway, here's the obligatory pics... Please excuse the badly packed kebab right at the end!
holes as I had always assumed (not that they arent yummy for all the ear+bum content).So I did a bit of digging, found a couple of different methods and has a stab at making my own kebabs with some known decent quality ingredients.
Its essentially a lamb burger recipe, very finely chopped onions, lamb mince, cumin, corriander, garlic salt.
Wrap in cling film and bung in a bain-marie for 30-45 mins, not having one of those I found a nifty method using some empty tin cans in a tray of boiling water in the oven. worked a treat.
Once cooked (I used a meat thermometer to check) whip them out to rest for a bit.
Then skewer them and finish on the grill, BBQ or with a blow torch!
Tasted very good indeed, and surprisingly very very close to the shop bought stuff, so maybe there's something in my dads theory!
Anyway, here's the obligatory pics... Please excuse the badly packed kebab right at the end!
Thanks for the positive feedback!
With regard to cost there was just under £10 worth of mince, almost a kilo, bread and salad can't have cost more than £5.
We fed three of us with a fair amount of left overs, I'd guess 4-5 "jumbo" kebabs from your local shop, so quite cost effective really !
I think the Bain Marie / clingfilm / tin can method made sure they were all sealed up and not falling apart on the grill. next time I'm going to find a much bigger can for the more authentic elephant leg and get a rotisary for the BBQ!
Good thinking with the chicken kebab, no idea how I'd get all those bits to stay together though. Might try it with some minced breats and deboned thighs.
Good excuse to buy that mincing attachment for the mixer ive been looking at!
With regard to cost there was just under £10 worth of mince, almost a kilo, bread and salad can't have cost more than £5.
We fed three of us with a fair amount of left overs, I'd guess 4-5 "jumbo" kebabs from your local shop, so quite cost effective really !
I think the Bain Marie / clingfilm / tin can method made sure they were all sealed up and not falling apart on the grill. next time I'm going to find a much bigger can for the more authentic elephant leg and get a rotisary for the BBQ!
Good thinking with the chicken kebab, no idea how I'd get all those bits to stay together though. Might try it with some minced breats and deboned thighs.
Good excuse to buy that mincing attachment for the mixer ive been looking at!
Arun_D said:
Good effort!
I had a go using the fast food book recipe that jfrf mentioned a few posts up, after we had a similar thread a while back. Turned out very well indeed.
I have that book, may give it a go.I had a go using the fast food book recipe that jfrf mentioned a few posts up, after we had a similar thread a while back. Turned out very well indeed.
Is it possible to make as good kebab with beef rather than lamb, the OH won't eat lamb so i think using beef would be better and would i need to change any of the other ingredients?
vladcjelli said:
I can smell a competition brewing...
Can I enter last year's (*cough*winning*cough*) Takeaway competion entry?captainzep said:
Here we go.
The Captainzep Anatolian Cuisine Special Mixed Kebab
Using the Lamb Doner recipe from "The Takeaway Secret" and making my own chicken doner and some simple grilled lamb steak, a special mixed kebab was born from my own kitchen.
I also utilised the functional excellence of the "Home-Kebabotron 3000" -an essential (patented) tool of great complexity, of my own intensive design and manufacture. Made of wood, 6 inch nails, turbo-gold screws and British gumption.
Pre pitta-stuffing, with 'golick sowce':
Fin. Forgive the beans. I have a picky 3yr old son. Who loves beans.
Yum. And the best bit? The lamb doner actually tastes of kebab shop lamb doner. Same texture and everything. Despite my sceptical outlook when I first read the recipe. Bit of a revalation to be honest.
The Captainzep Anatolian Cuisine Special Mixed Kebab
Using the Lamb Doner recipe from "The Takeaway Secret" and making my own chicken doner and some simple grilled lamb steak, a special mixed kebab was born from my own kitchen.
I also utilised the functional excellence of the "Home-Kebabotron 3000" -an essential (patented) tool of great complexity, of my own intensive design and manufacture. Made of wood, 6 inch nails, turbo-gold screws and British gumption.
Pre pitta-stuffing, with 'golick sowce':
Fin. Forgive the beans. I have a picky 3yr old son. Who loves beans.
Yum. And the best bit? The lamb doner actually tastes of kebab shop lamb doner. Same texture and everything. Despite my sceptical outlook when I first read the recipe. Bit of a revalation to be honest.
ILoveMondeo said:
My Dad told me that the "elephant leg" kebabs in your typical kebab shop are actually made from fairly good quality lamb and arent all ears and aholes as I had always assumed
The elephants leg in your "typical" kebaberie is most certainly made from utterly crap bits of lamb. In a previous life I used to make them! It would be wrong to say that they are all rubbish but the good quality ones are quite unusual. holes as I had always assumedWell done for making your own
bga said:
The elephants leg in your "typical" kebaberie is most certainly made from utterly crap bits of lamb. In a previous life I used to make them! It would be wrong to say that they are all rubbish but the good quality ones are quite unusual.
Well done for making your own
in my fathers shop he makes them using fine beef and lamb cuts minces it himself and buys in lambfat Well done for making your own
captainzep said:
Stuff
Cooooool!How did you form the elephants legs? by hand ?
I wouldnt have thought they would stay together particularly well without something like the clingfilm wrapping bain-marie treatment...
Really want to try the chicken one now?
Did you brown them off on the BBQ ?
Cheers
Dave
ILoveMondeo said:
Cooooool!
How did you form the elephants legs? by hand ?
I wouldnt have thought they would stay together particularly well without something like the clingfilm wrapping bain-marie treatment...
Really want to try the chicken one now?
Did you brown them off on the BBQ ?
Cheers
Dave
I can't remember the recipe but I followed it closely and formed the mixture into a rough mini-elephant's leg shape before rolling it tightly in tin foil and baking it off in a medium oven to cook it through. The fat in the lamb mince keeps everything juicy. I did finish it off on the BBQ before installing it on the Home Kebabatron 3000. How did you form the elephants legs? by hand ?
I wouldnt have thought they would stay together particularly well without something like the clingfilm wrapping bain-marie treatment...
Really want to try the chicken one now?
Did you brown them off on the BBQ ?
Cheers
Dave
The chicken one was just a case of marinating lots of slices of chicken in a spice/onion mix and then threading onto a skewer in layers before doing the same thing.
ETA found the recipe: http://earner.hubpages.com/hub/The-Takeaway-Secret
Edited by captainzep on Tuesday 7th August 09:24
PeanutHead said:
Arun_D said:
Good effort!
I had a go using the fast food book recipe that jfrf mentioned a few posts up, after we had a similar thread a while back. Turned out very well indeed.
I have that book, may give it a go.I had a go using the fast food book recipe that jfrf mentioned a few posts up, after we had a similar thread a while back. Turned out very well indeed.
Is it possible to make as good kebab with beef rather than lamb, the OH won't eat lamb so i think using beef would be better and would i need to change any of the other ingredients?
I'm not sure cumin and garlic would work so well with beef, anyone got any good ideas.
Also is it possible to do a minced pork version of a kebab or would that be to tough and dry?
PeanutHead said:
Anyone?
I'm not sure cumin and garlic would work so well with beef, anyone got any good ideas.
Also is it possible to do a minced pork version of a kebab or would that be to tough and dry?
I think it's well worth experimenting.I'm not sure cumin and garlic would work so well with beef, anyone got any good ideas.
Also is it possible to do a minced pork version of a kebab or would that be to tough and dry?
The fat keeps things moist in the lamb mince, so buying beef or pork mince that isn't too lean may do the trick. I think the key is to ensure that the mince is processed down to a smooth paste so that you don't get the usual 'crumbs' of mince falling apart when you try to slice the finished product.
Blitzing an onion in the blender and adding that will add moisture and a nice flavour (possibly too much), a little flour can add gluten which can help things bind together and there's always the stand-by or a beaten egg to hold a mixture together. -You're basically making a meatloaf of sorts afterall: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/meatloaf_12471
Cumin and garlic would work absolutely fine with beef. It's one of the principle spice flavours in a chilli, and garlic just adds a nice background edge.
Have a go and report back!
Edited by captainzep on Wednesday 8th August 10:48
I'm going to try a beef one tonight.
Will use exactly the same recipe as I did for the lamb, cumin, corriander, garlic, salt, finely chopped onion. I actually did 1/2 an onion grated very finely so it's just a mush, and half finely chopped in my last attempt. It all held together just fine so will do the same again with the beef.
Got no chicken in the freezer so that one will have to wait until I've been shopping.
Will use exactly the same recipe as I did for the lamb, cumin, corriander, garlic, salt, finely chopped onion. I actually did 1/2 an onion grated very finely so it's just a mush, and half finely chopped in my last attempt. It all held together just fine so will do the same again with the beef.
Got no chicken in the freezer so that one will have to wait until I've been shopping.
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