Well, I might as well say it. If there was ever a food that resembled a turd, this is it. Seriously.

Now if that sentence doesn't deter you away from this recipe, you're in luck. Because seriously, these kebabs are AH-MAY-ZING.

We're still awaiting the arrival of our quarter-of-a-steer that we just purchased from a local farm, so I was very happy to find grass-fed, organic ground beef on sale at a local market for $3.40 a pound. Score! I think I cleaned our their entire supply.

Hence the ground beef recipe.

And in the name of all things fresh and summery, this recipe is just that. Refreshing and perky – especially for being beef.

And frankly, you just have to get over the fact that they sort of look like poo on a stick. Seriously. Why is your mind always in the gutter anyway? Don't you have better things to do than tease me about bathroom humor?

Ahem.

Spiced Beef Kebabs with Lemon and Herbs
You will need:
– 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef (or lamb, or venison, or whatever!)
– 1 purple onion, minced
– 1/4 cup minced, fresh herbs (such as basil, cilantro, and mint)
– 2 teaspoons cumin
– 3 tablespoons lemon juice
– 1 tablespoon lemon zest
– Pinch red pepper flakes
– 1 teaspoon sea salt
– Freshly ground pepper

Step One: Combine the ground beef and onion in a bowl.

Step Twp: Then, add in the minced herbs. Yummy… look at those tasty herbs! I love the mint in here.

Step Three: And then add in the cumin, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper.

Step Four: Use your hands to squish it all together. Squish, squish, squish. Sorry. Squish probably isn't a very appetizing word, is it? Mix. Ya, that's it. Mix, mix, mix.

Step Five: Refrigerate the kebab mixture for 20-30 minutes. Then, preheat the oven to 425 (or better yet, warm up the grill!).

Step Six: Remove the kebab mixture from the refrigerator and shape onto skewers. Shape however you wish. Mine ended up shaped like… well, come on now people.

Step Seven: Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If cooking in the oven instead of the grill, it's nice to flip the oven onto broil for the last few minutes to really get the outside of the kebab nice and crispy.

Ta-da! Delicious, zesty beef kebabs. Please, for the kebabs sake, squeeze a bit of fresh lime over the top. It really perks up the beef nicely.

These would also be fantastic served alongside a tzatziki sauce. Or a bit of sour cream. Or even a fresh pico de gallo or salsa! The possibilities are limitless.

See, now aren't you glad you stuck around for the recipe?

Both Stuart and Georgia devoured them.

When I took this shot, Stuart said something along the lines of “Hey, you crazy food-blogger-who-always-insists-on-photographing-my-plate, would you please just let me finish this kebab? It's really good. Stop taking photos of it, you already have enough. Just let me finish eating it, already. You know people are going to say that it looks like a turd anyway, right? Maybe you should choose something prettier next time.”

Okay fine, he didn't say those things. And they may or may not be true. But seriously, these are a wonderful addition to any table. Regardless of their external beauty.

No judgement here.

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

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