On this episode of Plateworthy, chef Nyesha Arrington visits Mini Kabob in Glendale, California to get a crash course from owner Armen Martirosyan on how he and his family make the restaurant’s well-known beef shish kabobs.
“A lot of people like to use filet mignon; I don’t like filet mignon,” says Martirosyan.
“I’m right there with you,” responds Arrington. “Too lean, and not enough depth of flavor.”
Martirosyan explains his preferred flat cut of meat has ridges that serve kabobs well, as he grabs a piece of beef that has been marinating in a sauce that contains black pepper. The pepper content has served as an area of disagreement between Martirosyan and his father. “He likes a fine black pepper, I despise it,” says Martirosyan. “I like it more coarse.”
Once the meat is on the skewers, he checks for quality, making sure that no pieces of meat are flopping off the skewer, which he says can char a lot once they hit the grill. The last step before the grill is to tenderize the meat on the skewer to flatten it out a little bit.
On the grill, the beef gets put on the hottest part of the grill, where they cook relatively fast, compared to the restaurant’s other kabobs. “The steak, I like to hit it fast and hit it quick and get it to its temp,” says Martirosyan.
Watch the full video to see how Martirosyan and his family make the restaurants signature lula kabobs.