Anyone for Shish Kebob?

 

We were visiting a friend who has a place in the mountains last weekend.  I love to cook, and when I saw his beautiful new completely remodeled kitchen, I instantly volunteered to make dinner.  He loves shish kebobs and they turned out to be our choice for dinner. 

I’ve never been that impressed with shish kebobs, and the few times I’ve ordered them out I was not overwhelmed.  I was anxious to make some myself, and hopefully change my own opinion of the little grilled meat on a stick. 

That night the weather was perfect for grilling and dining on the deck.  I just happened to bring along a recipe recently clipped from our local newspaper since I had a feeling I’d be in charge of cooking a dinner.  As it turned out, I was also very happy to try out that new kitchen too. 

I originally planned on using lamb but my recipe called for beef; I bought a top sirloin steak and a few other standard shish kebob ingredients--onions, peppers and cherry tomatoes. 

I got right to work chopping vegetables and making the marinade.  Marinating the meat ahead of time was definitely the way to go.  Also using thin strips instead of chunks worked well.  The whole process was easy and actually a lot of fun.  

The secret to the flavor in this recipe is the combination of the balsamic vinegar with the garlic.  The flavors came together beautifully and my kebobs made a delicious grilled dinner.  I served them with jasmine rice and salad and we all agreed that the whole meal was a huge success. 

This recipe has definitely changed my mind about shish kebobs and I’m now sold on the whole idea.  In fact, I was so pleased with the results that I took several photos and am including them here so you can see. 

Summertime is grilling season and there is some summer left on the calendar.  Why don’t you give this easy recipe a try?  I guarantee you’ll want to make it more than just once. 

For the Kebobs:

1-1/4 lb top sirloin steak, thinly sliced

1-1/2 green bell peppers cut into 1-¼ inch chunks

1 basket cherry tomatoes, left whole

½ large sweet Vidalia onion, cut into 1-¼ inch chunks

8 to 10 wooden skewer sticks

For the marinade:

1/3 C olive oil

1/3 C balsamic vinegar

1 t kosher salt

1 t ground black pepper

5 cloves garlic, peeled

Soak the skewer sticks in water for an hour or more.  This will prevent burning on the grill. 

In a blender, combine the marinade ingredients.  Puree until creamy and smooth.  Slice the meat and put in a glass pan or bowl.  Pour the marinade over the top and mix well to coat all the meat.  Cover and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.  If you’re not grilling them in the next hour or so, store the meat in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature a half hour before grilling. 

Meanwhile prepare the peppers and onions in a bowl.  Drizzle a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper over the top and toss to coat.  Now you’re ready to assemble the skewers.  Dry off the sticks and rub them with a little oil to prevent sticking.  Begin to thread while alternating the meat and vegetables on the sticks.  Thread any remaining loose ingredients together.  Pour the rest of the marinade over the top.    You’re now ready to grill. 

Rub some oil or use a cooking spray on the grill.  Fire it up to the medium/high temperature.  When ready, gently arrange the skewers with a little space between them.  Cook about 3 minutes per side. 

Dinner is now ready.  Enjoy!

©Pauline Boren 2010

Any questions or comments?  Contact me at conservativecook@gmail.com.