Fri Jul 10th, 2020 Kebab Day
There is something special about a kebab, that combination of meat and vegetables skewered on a bamboo spear roasted over coals. The smoky flavor, the fantastic array of seasonings, or just the combination of the carnivore’s favorite treat and the herbivore’s secret vice makes it a place where we all can meet.
Kebab Day celebrates this delicious barbecue favorite and its origins, and of course, gives us an excuse to eat all the kebab we want!
Learn about Kebab Day
Kebab Day has been created so that we can celebrate this incredible meal! No matter whether you like to have a doner kebab after you have been clubbing with your friends or you are a fan of the shish kebab and often make them yourself, this is a day to celebrate.
There is only one thing that can be on the menu this evening! If you’re a vegetarian, fear not! You can easily make a vegetarian kebab. A lot of people have substituted the traditional meat with different ingredients, such as tofu, cheese, and vegetables over the years.
History of Kebab Day
Kebabs have a long and august history, starting in the Middle East where initially they were simply grilled meat heavily seasoned. There are two particular varieties which those of us in the West are particularly familiar, being shish kebab and doner kebab.
Shish kebab is far and away the more commonly known term and refers to a variety that is popular in Asia. Most commonly made of lamb or beef, it has also been known to contain swordfish or chicken. While we usually see these dishes prepared with the vegetables and meat on the same skewer, they were initially done separately.
The doner kebab, on the other hand, is most commonly known as the source of the meat for gyros. Essentially it’s layers of meat stacked into an inverted cone and slowly roasted by turning next to a vertical cooking element. The outer layer is slowly sliced as it cooks and served, most commonly in a pita as the famous gyro. This isn’t the only thing a doner kebab is used for, but if the others top the gyro… we’d like to try them.
Other varieties you might find are Kebab Kenjeh, Kebab Halabi, Burrah, Kalmi, and Galouti, just to name a few!
How To Celebrate Kebab Day
The easiest (and tastiest!) way to celebrate Kebab Day is to go out and sample the delicious flavors that can only be found in the best of kebabs. You can also organize a barbecue at your home and have your friends bring all their favorite kind of kebabs and serve them up fresh!
These days people are putting everything on kebabs, from chicken and vegetables to pieces of pineapple. Anything you can imagine can be put on a kebab and prepared with rich flavorful seasonings over smoky coals. Kebab Day encourages you to be creative and bring out the best in your kebabs, and let your skewers become vehicles for culinary deliciousness.
If you are someone who often makes kebabs art home, why not look for ways to take your creation to the next level? One thing we would recommend is dry aging the beef. Dry aging your beef is an amazing way to enhance the taste and quality. This is because dry aging can help to get rid of the moisture from the muscle of the meat. Doing so gives the beef a stronger taste.
In addition, the beef’s enzymes begin to weaken the connective tissue. Your beef will be very tender after the dry aging process. There are certain cuts of beef that you can dry age at your own home. However, you have to make sure that your refrigerator can maintain a temperature that is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a good idea to find boneless beef rib roast or prime lean roast.
Before you can dry age the beef, you will need to wash it. After it is clean, use a clean towel to pat it dry. You will have to pat the meat dry repeatedly throughout this process in order to get rid of any extra moisture. After the cut is dry, you will need to wrap the beef in cheesecloth. Place a rack on a sheet pan. Place the beef on the rack before transferring everything to the refrigerator.
On the next day, you will need to take the cheesecloth off the beef temporarily. Use a clean towel to remove any extra moisture. Once this has been done, wrap the beef in the same cheesecloth that you have been using and put it back in the refrigerator. Doing this each day gives you the chance to keep the cheesecloth from becoming attached to the beef cut.
You should repeat this process every day until the beef is ready for consumption. You must cook or freeze the beef within seven days of starting the dry age process. Most people dry age their beef for as little as three days and as much as seven days. If you want a stronger flavour, you should leave the beef in the refrigerator for seven days.
Remember that it is important for you to use the same cheesecloth. In addition, you might want to place a box of baking soda near the meat. This helps you ensure that your meat will not absorb any foul odours. After the dry age process, you will need to use a knife to cut off the edges of the beef that might be hard. Dry aging will often cause the outer edges of the beef cut to harden.
