Grilled meat (Kebab)
In the testimonies of the European explorers who traveled to Iran in the Safavid era (1500-1736), there are no hints of the kabab chelo as it is understood today, despite being rich in details and information on the various types of chelo and polo, stews and pickles. Most probably the recipe was passed on to the Iranians by the Caucasian populations: The spit-roasted meats consumed in previous regions in these regions are, in fact, quite similar to the kabab chelo, now popular in Iran in its various types: kabab and barg, soltans or kubideh.
History and legend are mixed on the account of Nasser and Din Shah (1821-1900) and trace the appearance of the kabab (lit .: embers, toasted) as it is understood today in the diet of Iranians at his time. It is said that the sovereign, traveling on occasions of travel or pilgrimages that with the servants and eunuchs formed a following of a thousand people, made the meals based on marinated meats and roasted on the grill in the air famous and highly requested by the ladies. open, served with aromatic herbs and fresh spring onions on large copper plates. In a short time these dishes gained great popularity among Iranians of all social strata for their delicacy. The technique of preparing and marinating the meats became more and more refined and the kebab served with steamed white rice soon became, together with the abgusht, the most famous Iranian dish known in the Middle East.
«Nayeb», the first chelo kabab restaurant in Iran, opened in Tehran, in the heart of the Grand Bazaar in 1870; Since then, in all the small and large cities of the country, small and large restaurants have sprung up where kebabs can be enjoyed at the table or ordered and taken away wrapped in sheets of hot bread, often freshly baked from the special ovens inside the restaurant.
Chelo kabab, considered the national dish in Iran, is perhaps the one that indistinctly likes best. Unmissable on the table on holidays, at banquets, during picnics, there is no Iranian restaurant that does not offer at least two types (beef or lamb and chicken or cockerel). Some restaurants, among other very popular ones, are specialized in the preparation of this single dish and in its many variations it is the only item on the menu of these very popular places where you can taste kabab and kubideh (skewers of minced meat and onion) , kabab and barg (fillet skewers) or soltani (the combination of the first two), accompanied by lavash bread, yogurt, fresh herbs and pickles.
For an excellent kebab it is necessary that the meat is of good quality, lean and tender in case you need to cook kabab and barg and semi-fat for kabab kubideh; do not forget to let it marinate as much as possible before cooking it and not to keep it on the fire for long, otherwise it will dry out too much. Its ideal complement are traditional grilled tomatoes and a good chelo rice. Serve on the table with some butter on the side to add to the rice and some somoq (sumac) to add to the meat as desired. In Iran the skewers on which the meat is threaded and placed on the grill are made of steel, about 50 cm long, and have different thicknesses depending on the type of meat for which they must be used. For meat cut into small pieces, the narrowest skewers (max 3 mm) are preferable; for meat cut into strips the wider ones (6 mm) are recommended; for kabab and kubideh, on the other hand, flat and 2 cm wide ones are useful, since the minced meat is held more firmly around them.