The stick was the cave cook’s first utensil, no doubt. And handy, once she installed fire. A deft union of form and function, a stick serves as pot, potholder, plate and fork — in one.
Though neither twig nor skewer nor sword count as tasty.
Consider, then, the cinnamon stick. The bark of the cinnamon tree is peeled, dried, polished and rolled into yard-long tubes called quills. Trimmed and bottled, the sticks lounge on the spice rack until summoned, once a year, to twirl cider.
Why not hand them a summer job? Pat together a meatball of lamb, mint and garlic. Thread it onto a length of cinnamon and grill. The stick serves as pot, potholder, plate, fork — and an infusion of flavor. Leaving the modern cook, and the cook’s happy guests, something delicious to chew on.
Lamb Kebabs
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Makes: 16 small kebabs
8 cinnamon sticks
1 lb. ground lamb
1/2 cup any combination of finely chopped mint, parsley, chives and cilantro
2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Olive oil
For serving: Mint dip (recipe follows), optional
Soak: Settle cinnamon sticks in a bowl of cold water. Weight down with a plate. Soak at least 15 minutes. Soaking will prevent the sticks from burning and allow you to unfurl them, yielding multiple skinnier sticks.
Mix: Gently mix all remaining ingredients except olive oil.
Shape: With damp hands, divide meat mixture and roll into 16 1-ounce balls. Slide each onto a cinnamon stick and press into a 2-inch-long blimp stationed at one end; stick and meat together will look like a child’s drawing of a tree. Drizzle each with a little oil.
Brown: Grill directly over high heat or broil about 4 inches from the flame, turning frequently, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Serve: These kebabs are nice either plain or with mint dip.
Mint dip: Stir together 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint, 2 tablespoons olive oil, finely grated zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
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