Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Tenderloin Kebabs, Pickled Red Cabbage, Herbed Rice, Yogurt Sauce, and Watercress & Tomato Salad


We went to this great little restaurant in our hood called Istanbul Grille on Friday.  It was absolutely delicious.  Everything was super fresh and chef had a really good hand at balancing flavors.  I had the lamb kebabs which were outstanding.  I would dare say the best lamb I've ever had... and I've had a LOT of lamb in my lifetime.  Any who, I tried replicating the dish, but I used beef tenderloin instead of lamb.  I also tried pickling red cabbage and that was surprisingly delicious too.

For the kebabs:
2 lbs beef tenderloin, cut into chunks
Sea Salt
Lemon Juice
Olive oil

Assemble the kebabs by skewering the meat unto sticks. Add about 5 pieces of meat to each stick. Then season each side with a little sea salt. Drizzle with a little olive oil and grill to desired doneness(I did mine in the BBQ). I cooked ours medium rare but this is totally up to you. At the very end, remove the skewers and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with a little olive oil and squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.

For the Rice:
2 cups parboiled rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (plus more for garnish)
1 tbsp. fresh chopped mint
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Add the olive oil to a pot and turn on to high heat. Add the rinsed rice and begin to toast a bit, tossing occasionally. Next add the chicken stock, lemon juice, and chopped herbs. Cook on high until the liquid begins to boil. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes on high and then cover with a lid and turn the heat to low.


For the Cabbage:
2 cups sliced red cabbage
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. whole peppercorns

Once the cabbage is thinly sliced, sprinkle with salt and using your hands begin to press down on the cabbage in order to begin breaking it down. This will kick start the pickling process. Add the sugar, salt and peppercorns to a canning jar. Next add the cabbage to a canning jar followed by the vinegar. Put the lid on the jar. Add water to a large pot and then add the jar of cabbage to the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the jar and transfer to the fridge to cool. Allow the cabbage to cool in the fridge for about 4 hours before serving. The longer you let it sit in the refrigerator the better.

For the salad:
1 bunch watercress
1 ripe tomato
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp fresh chopped lemon balm or mint
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice the tomato and remove the watercress from the stems. Mix in the herbs, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

For the yogurt sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cucumber seeded and finely diced
2 tbsp. fresh chopped mint
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl... it's as easy as that!

1 comment:

FoodTravelDiva said...

Girrrrrl, I LOVE me some lamb! Wish I could've tasted what you had. As usual your food looks absolutely scrumptious!


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