Skewer Cooking
What is Skewer Cooking?
Skewer cooking is the technique of threading food onto a long metal or wooden rod and cooking it over direct heat - the oldest and most universal outdoor cooking method in human history. In the Afghan culinary context, skewer cooking is synonymous with kabob: seasoned meat (ground or whole chunks) pressed or threaded onto flat metal skewers and cooked over high-heat charcoal or gas grills until the exterior chars and the interior cooks through but retains its juices.
The skewer's value is practical and culinary: it holds the meat in a fixed position over the heat source, allowing for even cooking and easy rotation, and the direct contact between the grill and the skewer conducts heat rapidly into the core of the meat from the centre out - different from surface-to-core conduction in regular grilling. Flat skewers (wider than the round variety) are standard in Afghan kabob cooking because the flat surface grips ground meat better and prevents it from rotating freely, which would result in uneven cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Afghan kabob use flat skewers instead of round ones?
Flat skewers grip ground meat (seekh kabob) much more effectively than round skewers - the flat surface prevents the meat from spinning freely when you rotate the skewer, which would result in the outside cooking while the inside stays raw. Flat skewers are essential for seekh kabob and preferred for chunk kabob as well.
What type of grill does Naan Kabob use for skewer cooking?
Naan Kabob uses high-heat commercial grills designed for the intense, rapid-cooking style of Afghan kabob preparation. The goal is maximum surface heat for charring the exterior while keeping the interior juicy - the same principle as cooking over a traditional charcoal mangal.
Can you skewer cook vegetables as well as meat?
Yes. Grilled vegetables on skewers - onions, tomatoes, peppers - are common accompaniments to Afghan kabob plates. At Naan Kabob, kabob plates typically include grilled tomato and onion as part of the plate presentation.
See also: Seekh Kabob ,Shish Kabob ,Marination.
Skewer-grilled kabob is the heart of the Naan Kabob menu - available at all Toronto and GTA locations.
