Ground Beef Kabob Skewers

This is a Persian kabob, I believe maybe it may also be made in Arabic countries, Turkey, and Greece but with some variation.  It's called "KOOBIDEH" and found at all Persian restaurants.  It's ground beef skewers made over fire and served with fire roasted tomatoes and basmati saffron rice.

• In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well (with hands).  Cover and refridgerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
• Take about a handful of the meat mixture and roll it up like a meatball in one hand
• In the other hand, take the long and thick skewers and begin to press the meat onto the skewers.  This is how they get their shape.  Be sure to press the top and bottom of the meat up closely to the skewer, this isn't hard since the meat mixture is like a paste.
• Using charcoal grill provides best results but BBQ will work as well.  Place skewers over heat and cook about 10 minutes on each side or until desired.
• Take the skewer off the grill while still hot and holding the handle, use a big fork to remove the kabob off the skewer.  Since the top and bottom of the kabobs were pressed against the skewer when preparing, those are the two points that stick to the skewer, so simply put the knife through the skewer and just push slightly until the kabob comes off the skewer.  With practice you can get it off in one piece so it looks like the picture.
• Serve with rice or bread and eat right away when hot!

Serves 4.