Lots of Skewers

I posted Shrimp Skewers a couple of weeks ago, and with the acquisition of a quality charcoal grill, have tested a number of other skewers. As with most meat preparations, the grilling technique is important, but secondary in many ways to the marinade. I am generally a proponent of the "olive oil, salt, and pepper" school of thought, but it's really nice when company is over to dress it up a bit with lots of great flavors. With beef, I like to deepen  the natural "umami" flavors that are usually present in good meat, but with chicken, I like to brighten the flavors with herbs and acid, while keeping it simple. Here are some suggestions that have worked for me. Please let me know what you think!

Beef Skewers
This marinade will work for roughly 2 lbs of beef, which I recommend you cube yourself. I have tried a few different cuts and have to recommend good sirloin. The cooking time depends on your taste, the cut of beef you use, and how hot you have your coals or gas. Be careful not to overcook!

• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup garlic, sliced
• 2 cups red wine
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Marinate the cubed beef for 4 hours, skewer, and grill. Use lots of coals and get them very hot! Cooking time for medium rare will be very brief.


Chicken Skewers
I use this marinade for white and dark meat chicken, about 3 lbs is perfect for this amount of marinade, but you must use all of the same cut on your skewers. Don't mix white and dark or you will have a very over-cooked breast portion or woefully under-cooked thigh portion. Again, be careful not to overcook!

•  1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper (more to taste)

Some general notes that I'd like to share about kebab cooking include care when choosing skewers, not overcrowding your skewers, and not concentrating too much on how they look. You can make gorgeous skewers, but if you have lots of pretty meats and veggies with different cooking times, you're bound for disappointment. Also, even if you soak your skewers, they may burn. If this happens, just go with the flow and remove the meat into couscous or a salad. Keeping an eye on them will prevent this, but your eyes can only do so much. Metal skewers never burn, but are more cumbersome to clean up. Finally, space out your meats and vegetables. If you crowd your skewers, you'll have burned outsides and raw insides because insufficient surface area will be exposed to heat. Just use common sense and enjoy this delicious summer tradition.