Seekh Kabobs — When the Smoker Comes Back to Life

Late August. Back-to-school energy in the city even though I have no one going back to school. Ava is eleven months old and going to daycare three days a week now that Emma is back at work full-time at Texas Children's. I drop off food at Emma's apartment on Monday mornings — a week's worth of dinners in containers: congee, thit kho, curry, pho broth. She calls it "Dad's meal service." I call it being a grandfather. The job description is: feed them, hold them, and do not interfere. I'm working on the last one.

AA meeting Tuesday. We had a new member — a woman this time, mid-forties, a restaurant owner who'd been functioning but crumbling. She talked about how the wine she drank "for tasting" had become two bottles a night. I listened. I thought about my own story — the six-pack-every-night, the bourbon-at-lunch, the I-can-quit-whenever-I-want. The specifics are always different. The pattern is always the same. You tell yourself it's fine until it's not, and then you tell yourself it's not fine but you can handle it, and then you can't. Kevin sat next to her and said nothing, which is the right amount of nothing to say to someone on their first night.

Saturday I fired up the smoker for the first time in two weeks — the heat had broken slightly, down to the low nineties, which is practically autumn in Houston terms. I smoked a rack of beef ribs — the big, dinosaur-bone kind, each one the size of my forearm. Rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the Vietnamese twist: a paste of fish sauce and lemongrass worked into the crevices between the bones. Six hours over oak at 275. The meat pulled back from the bone like a curtain opening. The bark was black and peppery. The fat was rendered and glistening. I ate one rib standing at the cutting board and it was enough food for a full meal. Beef ribs are not subtle. They are not trying to be anything other than what they are: enormous, primal, magnificent. I respect this about them.

That Saturday at the smoker reminded me that fire is the most honest form of cooking — no shortcuts, no pretending. The beef ribs were mine and mine alone, but I kept thinking about a recipe that translates that same high-heat, heavily spiced intensity into something you can bring to a table instead of eating standing over a cutting board. Seekh kabobs are that recipe: ground beef packed with aromatics, formed by hand, cooked until charred at the edges and juicy in the center. Bobby Tran’s version is what happens when you stop overthinking and just feed people.

Seekh Kabobs

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 32 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for brushing
• Metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers

Instructions

1. Mix the meat. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, mint, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix firmly with your hands until fully incorporated and the mixture feels cohesive. Do not undermix — the fat and spices need to bind.
2. Rest the mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. This helps the kabobs hold their shape on the skewer and deepens the spice flavor.
3. Form the kabobs. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Press each portion firmly around a skewer in a long, even cylinder about 6 inches long. Squeeze the ends to seal. Place on a tray.
4. Preheat the grill. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to high (450—500°F). Brush grates with oil. For a smoker or charcoal setup, position the kabobs over direct heat.
5. Grill the kabobs. Brush kabobs lightly with oil and grill for 5—6 minutes per side, turning once, until the exterior is deeply charred and the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Avoid pressing down — let the crust form naturally.
6. Rest and serve. Remove from heat and rest for 3 minutes. Serve with warm naan, sliced onion, and a squeeze of lemon. A simple cucumber raita on the side cuts through the spice cleanly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 520mg