Sweet, sour, smoky torsh kabob brings you symphony of northeastern Iran flavours

One of my favourite areas to eat in right now is around North York, specifically atYongeStreet from Sheppard Avenue West andjustnorth of there, commonly referred to as Little Korea North. It's also referred to as Little Persia. It's aconjunction of two very different cultures that share the same street in Toronto.

On this strip you'll find incredible Korean food, the best in the city, and you'll also find Iranian bakeries, grocery stores and late-night cafes as you head north.

There are iconic Iranian shops likeKhorakand SuperArzonthat have become community hubs, and you'll find amazingSangakandBabaribread at places likeParsianFine Foods.

Little Persia is expanding atlightning speed, as you head farther north to Highway 7 and into Richmond Hill, you'll spot more bakeries and hole-in-the-wall kabob joints that are so new the old signs from the previous businesses are still up. There is a thriving Iranian community here, which means there's good food.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy Iranian foodis to order an assortment of grilled kabobs, have it with somebaghalipiolo(rice withfavabeans), grilled tomatoes, and deck the table with an assortment of stews and sideslike:kashkebademjan(eggplant and walnut dip), or eggymirzaghasemidip with tomato, and plenty of mastkhiar(a thickyoghurtdip with mint and cucumber) for cooling.

While there are many restaurants that have kabobs on the menu, there is one outlier that does it best. In my opinion, a great kabob is equal parts high quality meat, a super powered marinade or spice mix, and experiencewhen it comes to cooking over an open fire.

The best kabob meals are produced when the grilling is done as traditionally as possible, meat and vegetables punctured with steel skewers and cooked over a gentle but fiery bed of charcoal.

I was first introduced toParsGrill over a decade ago in its original location atYongeStreet and John Street. It's atiny takeout counter where ownerEsmaeilHoseinzadehserved up some of the most tender chicken and beef kabobs over rice.

Hoseinzadehwas born in Tabriz, an Iranian Azerbaijan province once known as a central Silk Road market. His wife,Nadereh,is from Iran's capital, Tehran. Along with their two daughters, they moved to Canada in 2001.

Hoseinzadehhas cooked for most of his life, he told me about being inspired by his grandparents who owned and operated a kabob cart back home.

"They would serve charcoal kabobs with large pieces of bread,"Hoseinzadehdescribed.

After moving here,Hoseinzadehquickly became a staple name in the Iranian restaurant community. He's consulted all over, sometimes helping chefs with their charcoal setup andpreparing a menu.

Watch this chef's secret to the perfect Torsh Kabob

6 years ago

Duration 0:46

The secret to good Torsh Kabob is a perfect blend of flavours, says Metro Morning food guide Suresh Doss.

At the time, I was living a quick car ride downYongeStreet, so I found myself regularly in his shop when I had a craving for koobideh kabob:ground beef mixed with spices and onions, or the tender barg kabob made with tenderloin that had been marinated overnight.

Each skewer of meat came with a kiss of charcoal essence, perfumed with smoke and glistening with caramelized knobs of fat that had slowly rendered from the hot carbon.

I moved a few years later and lost touch withHoseinzadeh's restaurant, butwhen I finally had a chance to go back, I had learned that he had closed his operation. I later discovered that he had moved farther up to a new location in a plaza off Major Mackenzie Drive.

'Passion for charcoal grilling'

"When I moved here I finally had a chance to expand my menu and get better with my passion of charcoal grilling,"Hoseinzadehsaid.

With a larger kitchen and bigger grill setup,Hoseinzadehperfectedhis charcoal methods and expanded the menu.

"I really like the sour taste of Iranian food from the eastern side," he said while serving me a plate of torsh kabob.

I was familiar with Iranian torsh kabob prior toParsGrill, butHoseinzadeh's version is vastly superior to othersI have tried. It is a traditional kabob that originated in Gilan and Mazandaran, two coastal regions in northeastern Iran cradling the Caspian Sea.

Chunks of tenderloin are bathed in a mixture ofyogurtand pomegranate molasses to produce that sour tastesignature to Iran. When done right, the meat should be tenderand almost falling apart under your fork.

"It is a difficult kabob to master. It takes time and you have to have the right technique" he said.

Hoseinzadehinvited me to the kitchen atParsGrill to show me how he makes his torsh kabob.Hoseinzadeh's wife and two daugthers, Aylar and Maral help with his operation.

His meat is almost always from Ontario.Hoseinzadehhas been making kabobs for decades and it shows in his speed and efficiency in butchering meat.

He separatesleaner pieces of tenderloin from fatty ones andthe lean pieces go into his signature barg kabob,It gets coated in a secret spice mixture that contains black pepper, onion, butter, garlic andcoriander. It produces a juicy and tender kabob with subtle hits of spice.

The fatty parts go into a bowl along with a healthy dose ofyogurt, secret spice mixture, and a house-made pomegranate butter thatHoseinzadehmakes with pomegranate molasses, crushed walnuts, salt and sugar. The mixture has the texture of peanut butter, but is inky black.

"The secret is to massage the meat," he describedas he rolledthe chunks of tenderloin between his palms, thoroughly coating each piece of meat. The mixture is then left to marinate overnight.

When ordered, the meat is pierced with long steel rods and cooked over the open fire.

"The charcoal brings out the flavour of the pomegranate and the fat. The charcoal is essential to this torsh"Hoseinzadehsaid.

There's nothing to the presentation,Hoseinzadehserves his kabobs with charred whole tomatoes and a salad or rice.

The star here is the kabob, the pomegranate molasses brings sourness and depth to the meat, which tear easily thanks to the overnight marinade.

There's an underlining nutty flavour along with a slight sweetness in each bite. Sweet and sour notes are not typically associated with grilled meats, but here, they work in symphony with the touch of charcoal smoke.

Everything is balanced, the results of a charcoal virtuoso that has spent years honing his marinades and cooking.