Recipes Lamb Kebabs with Cool Cucumber Salad Be the first to rate & review! Katy Sparks coats her lamb kebabs with a garlicky, salty cumin rub. Leg of lamb is ideal here because it stays juicy and tender during grilling without shredding or falling apart. If you are really short on time, you can skip cutting and skewering the meat and grill the whole steaks for 2 minutes longer.Plus: More Grilling Recipes and Tips By Katy Sparks Katy Sparks Background Trained at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI. Worked at The Quilted Giraffe and Mesa Grill, New York City. How she got into cooking After dropping out of Middlebury College, she made soups at a local café. First food memory "Smoked octopus that my father brought back from Chinatown when I was 14." Menu bomb Roasted squab on herb risotto with zucchini blossoms. Ingredient pick Long Island corn. Favorite equipment "I'm not a big equipment person. I keep my knives nice and sharp and use them instead of an industrial chopper." Favorite cookbook Anything written by Patricia Wells. Favorite place to eat Blue Ribbon, New York City. Favorite cocktail Straight-up Beefeater martini with a twist. Most tired trend "Casual American bistros, where the menus seem to be driven by price, not flavor." Secret of her success "My husband, who's the dishwasher at home, would say I'm successful because I use every pot and pan in the kitchen." Favorite 1 A.M. meal "Any kind of pasta; or steak if it was a really hard night at the restaurant." Food vice Bar nuts. Recipe tip Constantly baste filet mignon with melted butter while it's cooking to keep it juicy. Won Best New Chef at: Quilty's, New York (closed) Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 15, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Tina Rupp Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 Ingredients 2 tablespoons ground cumin 3 large garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/4 pounds boneless leg of lamb steaks, 1 inch thick, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 European seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt Directions Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, combine the cumin, garlic and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, then add the lamb and turn to coat. Thread the lamb onto 8 skewers. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, working over a medium bowl, grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, stopping when you get to the seedy center. Stir the yogurt into the grated cucumber. Transfer the mixture to a strainer lined with a coffee filter or paper towel and let drain for 10 minutes. Transfer the cucumber salad to a serving bowl. Grill the lamb kebabs over moderately high heat until charred and medium rare, about 7 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with the cucumber salad. Rate it Print