Lamb kofta on skewers with tzatziki sauce

Ingredients:

Kyufta:

• 450 g of minced beef neck or young lamb
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp coarse salt, plus another pinch
• 3 tbsp. l. grated onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 ground ginger
• Ground black pepper
• Olive oil for greasing the grill
• Tzatziki sauce (see recipe below)
• Grilled pita breads

Tzatziki sauce:

• 2 cups of natural whole milk yogurt or 1 cup of natural oriental yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and halved
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt plus a pinch
• 1/2 clove of garlic
• 1 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dried mint (broken into small pieces)

Preparation:

1. Crush the garlic cloves, sprinkle them with a large pinch of salt, and use the flat side of a large knife to mash the mixture into a chunky paste. Combine the paste and the remaining tablespoon of salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.
2. Line the pan with aluminum foil.
   
   Divide the meat mixture into 28 pieces. Thread each piece around the pointed end of a skewer (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading) to form a 5cm-long oval kebab, positioned just above the tip of the skewer.
   
   Place the skewers in the pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
3. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a grill. Lightly coat the pan with olive oil. Working in batches, cook the kofta, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki sauce and flatbreads.
   
   

   Tzatziki Sauce Yogurt Sauce (Greek sauce with yogurt and cucumbers)

   
   If you are using whole milk yogurt, line a fine-mesh coffee filter with the yogurt, place the filter over a bowl, and refrigerate for 12 hours. Discard any excess liquid and transfer the yogurt to a bowl.
4. In another bowl, grate the cucumber using a grater with large holes. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and mash the cucumber with your hands. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers to extract as much liquid as possible.
   
   Crush the garlic, sprinkle it with a large pinch of salt, and mash it into a chunky paste with the flat side of a large knife. Add the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mint to the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
   Exit: 1 1/4 tbsp.