Frenched lamb rib chops marinated in onion and saffron, threaded onto long skewers and grilled bone-in — the pride of Shandiz near Mashhad, where whole restaurants exist for this one dish. The bone and rib fat set it apart from every boneless Persian kebab.
Also known as: shishleek, kabab shishlik, shishlik-e Shandiz, Persian lamb chop kebab
Watch it made
Ingredients
- 12 frenched lamb rib chops (about 1.2 kg)
- 2 onions, grated for juice
- 100 g plain yogurt
- 0.3 g saffron, bloomed in 30 ml hot water
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 30 ml oil
- 30 g butter, for basting
- 1.5 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp pepper
- 2 tomatoes, to grill
How to make it
- 1
Submerge the chops overnight in the onion juice, yogurt, lemon, oil and half the saffron.
- 2
Wipe the marinade off well, then thread three chops per long skewer through the eye of the meat, bones aligned.
- 3
Grill over high coals about 3 min per side, basting with saffron butter at each turn.
- 4
Season with salt and pepper as they come off the fire.
- 5
Rest 5 min under flatbread and serve with the grilled tomatoes, Shandiz style.
Pro tip: Wipe the yogurt marinade off before grilling; whatever clings will scorch acrid before the chop inside reaches its rosy medium.
