Azerbaijani-style Lyulya Kebab

Finely chop or pass the onion through a meat grinder twice; if it's very juicy, gently squeeze out the excess liquid.

Combine the ground lamb, tail fat, onion, salt, and black pepper. Knead for 8–10 minutes, forcefully slapping the mixture against the bowl several times, until the mince becomes sticky and uniform.

Cover the bowl and chill the mince for 60 minutes to let the fat firm up. Take it out of the fridge 15–20 minutes before shaping.

With damp hands, divide the mince into 4 portions and mold each one tightly around a wide flat skewer, forming long ribbed sausages with no cracks.

Light the grill and wait until the coals are hot with no open flame. Grill the lyulya kebabs over the hot coals for 8–10 minutes, turning the skewers frequently, until the surface browns evenly and the meat is fully cooked through.

Slide the kebabs off the skewers onto lavash and wrap each one for 1–2 minutes so the bread soaks up the juices.

Serve immediately with red onion rings, sprinkled with sumac and accompanied by parsley and basil.