Spicy Ground Beef Kebabs with Tomato-Sumac Sauce

This recipe is our take on kebab hindi that, despite its name, is a Levantine, not Indian, dish. In traditional versions, the meat mixture is formed into stubby cigar shapes—as if shaped around a skewer—and the kebabs are baked in a tomato sauce. We opted to form the meat into patties and cook them, sans sauce, under the focused heat of the broiler. When the patties are done, we use the same baking sheet to broil tomatoes and onion until softened enough to form a chunky, relish-like sauce. The sauce is seasoned with tangy ground sumac, which is sold in well-stocked supermarkets, spice shops and Middle Eastern grocery stores. If it’s not available, simply squeeze a little lemon juice into the sauce while stirring in the water after broiling. Serve with rice or flatbread.