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1
Grate the onions on the fine side of a box grater, then transfer the gratings to a clean cloth or doubled muslin and wring forcefully until no further liquid can be extracted — removing the liquid is essential because any moisture left in the onion will steam the meat from within during grilling, causing the koobideh to slip and fall from the skewer. The squeezed onion should feel nearly dry to the touch and hold its shape when pressed. Discard all expressed liquid.
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2
Combine the squeezed onion with the ground meat, salt, pepper, and turmeric in a large bowl, then knead the mixture continuously and firmly for 8–10 minutes — the mixture must be worked until it pulls away from the bowl as a single cohesive mass and feels distinctly sticky when pressed between the fingers, because that stickiness is what will grip the skewer and hold the meat together over the fire. Under-kneaded mixture will feel loose and granular, and it will not hold a skewer.
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3
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, overnight preferred — chilling firms the fat and tightens the mixture so that it holds its shape on the skewer rather than sagging and sliding when pressed around the metal. The mixture is ready to skewer when it feels firm and cold throughout; room-temperature mixture is too soft and will not hold.
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4
Prepare a charcoal fire and allow it to reach full heat with no remaining flames, so that the coals glow uniformly orange-red with a grey ash bloom across their surface — because live charcoal delivers both radiant heat and smoke that are structural to the character of the crust and the flavour of the meat in a way that gas cannot replicate. Do not cook over flames; flames scorch the outside before the inside is set.
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5
Divide the cold mixture into portions and, using wet hands, press each portion firmly but not rigidly around a wide flat skewer (5–6 cm wide), forming a cylinder roughly 15–18 cm long — meat that retains a slight degree of give will expand gently during cooking without cracking, whereas meat compressed too tightly will contract and split away from the skewer. For the most secure hold, use two parallel flat skewers spaced 2 cm apart per portion, which prevents the cylinder from rotating and ensures even browning on both sides.
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6
Lay the skewers across the grill directly over the coals and turn every 60–90 seconds, four to six turns in total — turning at short, regular intervals builds an even crust on all sides and prevents any one face from charring through before the centre is cooked. The koobideh is done when the exterior is evenly charred with defined grill marks, the surface feels set and firm when lightly pressed, and the juices visible at the ends of the meat run clear rather than pink.
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7
Grill the whole tomatoes alongside the meat during the final turns, so they share the last of the peak charcoal heat and pick up some of the rendered meat smoke. They are ready when the skins blister and collapse and char marks appear.
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8
Slide the cooked koobideh from the skewers directly onto the lavash bread — the bread catches the juices as the meat rests, so nothing is lost and the lavash itself becomes part of the meal. Brush immediately with saffron butter, then squeeze verjuice over the meat so the acid cuts through the richness of the lamb fat. Serve sumac, fresh herbs, and sliced raw onion at table.