I am making kefte for a North African dinner this week. I made it in advance since it seems to be significantly better once the flavors have had time to meld, or fester as my friend Loralyn says as a joke she repeats too often. I got the lamb from Bavette, locally sourced, humanely raised and slaughtered with care. One assumes.
I have purchased Strauss ground lamb that is much cheaper and far less fatty but the flavor is sour compared to the lusciousness of the Bavette lamb.
This is kefte only in the way I prepared it. Real kefte comes on skewers and is not cooked in sauce. But hey, it’s my meal and I’ll cook it how I wanna. I don’t see the point of the skewers, I mean, we’re not bedouins roasting these on camel dung. I can grab them off the fire with tongs.
As for the tomato sauce. Tomatoes go well with north African spices. Cinnamon is especially lovely when paired with tomato.
The recipe follows with the ultimate kefte posting sometime later this week. Not that anyone is waiting with baited breath.
