Shared by Sylvia Fallas
Shared by Sylvia Fallas
A Syrian Barbecue to Celebrate Simchat Torah
Yield: 14 kebabsTime: About 1 hour, plus 2 hours chilling
A Syrian Barbecue to Celebrate Simchat Torah
Yield: 14 kebabsTime: About 1 hour, plus 2 hours chillingFamily Journey
Aleppo, SyriaManchester, England
New York City
The guest list for the lunchtime barbecue Sylvia Fallas’s grandmother hosts on Simchat Torah keeps expanding. When Sylvia was little, there were approximately 30 guests; today, it’s nearly 50. “It’s like a clown car, there’s always room,” she jokes.
Her grandmother, who is also named Sylvia, was born in Aleppo, Syria and maintains the culinary traditions of their community in Brooklyn. For the holiday, she starts the afternoon feast with fried sambusak before heading to the barbecue. She grills beef kebabs loaded with garlic called salajahn and spicy Syrian sausages called salchicha. Her buffet table is covered with hummus, baba ghanoush, a bulgar salad called bazergan, a green salad, and much more. There are also a few American classics including hot dogs, which her uncle likes burnt, and ketchup.
And there are always pita and hotdog buns on the table. Sylvia jokes: “My grandfather hated four things in life. One of those things was soft bread, like American soft bread, so there were hot dog buns in a basket on the table, but those are really just for the kids.”
Cooking note: These kebabs are wonderful on the grill, but can also be made in a heavy-bottom skillet.
Learn more about Sylvia’s family in “For This Syrian Family, Friday Afternoon Means Coffee and Pastries” and get her recipe for fried sambousak (middle eastern turnovers).
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 onion, grated
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons white pepper
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Preparation
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Using your hands, mix until well incorporated.
Step 2
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.
Step 3
Remove a thumb-sized piece of the meat mixture and fry it in a small pan over medium heat until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.
Step 4
With wet hands, shape the remaining mixture into 6-inch long kebabs (about the length of a hot dog) and 1½ -inch in diameter. You should have approximately 14 kebabs.
Step 5
Place the kebabs on a sheet tray lined with wax paper.
Step 6
Grill over a very hot grill, or cook in a wide skillet over high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear until the exterior is crispy and caramelized, and the inside is just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
Salajhan can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
