Coffee and Chilli Beef Koftas with Grilled Onions

Coffee and chilli-rubbed beef koftas with a simple grilled onion and herb salad, adapted slightly from Ottolenghi, are truly a Middle-Eastern feast and perfect for a bbq or party. The rich and smoky flavour of coffee add a depth of flavour and complexity to those koftas without overpowering the natural, beefy flavour. To avoid an overly bitter flavour when cooking at 240C/475F, use instant coffee instead of coffee grinds. The caffeine is going to burn off during the cooking process, similar to cooking with alcohol. As an added bonus, the acidity in coffee helps tenderise the meat. And mild cascabel chilli adds just the right amount of heat.

	Coffee Chilli Rub
500 g Ground beef 1 Medium red onion, peeled and coarsely grated 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced 20 g Flat-leaf parsley, half roughly chopped, the rest picked with some stem attached 1 Large lemon – half finely zested, to get 2 tsp, and juiced, to get, 1 tbsp, the other half cut into two wedges 1 tbsp Tallow, melted 60 ml Olive oil Salt and black pepper 2 Red onions, peeled and each cut into 5 rounds 2 tbsp Mint leaves	2 tbsp Instant coffee powder 1 tbsp Ground cascabel chilli (about 2 whole chillies, blitzed in a spice grinder) 1 tsp Erythritol (or light brown sugar) 1 tsp Smoked paprika 1 tsp Ground cumin 1 tsp Freshly milled black pepper ½ tsp Sea salt

Coffee Chilli Rub

500 g Ground beef
1 Medium red onion, peeled and coarsely grated
2 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
20 g Flat-leaf parsley, half roughly chopped, the rest picked with some stem attached
1 Large lemon – half finely zested, to get 2 tsp, and juiced, to get, 1 tbsp, the other half cut into two wedges
1 tbsp Tallow, melted
60 ml Olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 Red onions, peeled and each cut into 5 rounds
2 tbsp Mint leaves

2 tbsp Instant coffee powder
1 tbsp Ground cascabel chilli (about 2 whole chillies, blitzed in a spice grinder)
1 tsp Erythritol (or light brown sugar)
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Freshly milled black pepper
½ tsp Sea salt

Place ground beef into a large bowl and add the grated onion, garlic, chopped parsley, lemon zest, melted tallow, ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper, and knead for about three minutes, until well combined and sticky. Divide the mix into 12, then form into compact, torpedo-shaped koftas.
Make the rub by combining all ingredients. Set aside a third of the rub mixture and spread the rest over a baking tray. Roll each kofta in the coffee rub until well coated all over, and set aside (or refrigerate if you’re getting ahead).
Heat the oven to 240C/475F. Gently toss the red onion rounds in a tablespoon of olive oil, a ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, keeping them as intact as possible. Put a well-greased griddle pan on a high heat and ventilate the kitchen. Once the griddle is hot, grill the onion slices for 4-5 minutes on each side, until well charred and softened, then set aside to cool.
Drizzle the kofta with a tablespoon of oil, then grill them in two batches for about 1 minute a batch, until lightly charred on the outsides (take care they don’t catch and burn). Transfer the grilled kofta to a medium oven tray.
Combine the reserved coffee rub with two tablespoons of oil and drizzle all over the kofta. Return to the oven for 12-15 minutes, until cooked through and nicely browned.
In a bowl, toss the grilled onion with the mint, parsley, lemon juice and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Arrange the koftas and their cooking juices on a platter and pile the grilled onion salad to one side. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the koftas and serve warm.

9 comments:

Tom 29/6/25 12:49: ...Angie, with each visit here you teach me something new, thanks.
DEZMOND 29/6/25 13:21: Very unusual combo! Wishing you a pleasant Sunday lunch.
ellie 29/6/25 13:24: Lovely for a party are just for two. Great recipe!
Caitlin'nMegan 29/6/25 13:25: Wonderful and yummy. Looks perfect for July celebrations!
Lola Martínez 29/6/25 13:33: Las coftas es algo que no consumo habitualmente, aunque las he probado y me gustan. Con café no las conozco, me gustaría averiguar su sabor, deben estar ricas.
eileeninmd 29/6/25 13:38: Looks like a delicious recipe and meal.
Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.
Ananka 29/6/25 14:21: My partner would love these. The coffee chilli rub sounds brilliant :-D
Christine 29/6/25 14:39: Looks so good!
Diane 29/6/25 14:49: This sounds very interesting, two flavours that we both like. Noted. Keep well. cheers Diane