Beef Shish Kabobs on the Grill

Kabobs (or kebabs) are a favorite of ours.  It's hard not to love meat on a stick.  Or veggies, if that is your thing, even though the term shish kebab (şiş kebap in Turkish) translates to "grilled meat on skewers".  Originally this was a Turkish dish of marinated lamb that was skewered and grilled over a charcoal fire.  But today, we skewer and grill everything from eggplant to chicken.

It is often recommended to choose food that will cook at the same rate when putting them on the same skewer.  We like the intermingling of flavors so we try to adjust the size of the meat cubes to cook along with our vegetables, with a few exceptions.  Cherry tomatoes are best cooked separate since they will cook so quickly.

Beef Shish Kabobs with green peppers, onions and mushrooms

Ingredients

1 pound beef sirloin, top sirloin, or filet

1 medium onion

1 green pepper

10 large white mushrooms

1 red pepper (optional)

2/3 cup dry red wine, burgundy or pinot noir

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. If you are using bamboo skewers, start by submerging them in water using a dish or a paper towel to hold them underwater.  Let them soak for 30 minutes.  We use double skewers as it makes it easier to turn without having the ingredients spin on the skewer.  You can use two bamboo skewers or buy some double prong skewers.

2. Make the marinade. In a stainless or glass bowl large enough to hold the meat, add the wine, salt, sugar, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix the marinade.

3. Cube it. Cut the steak into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch cubes. Add the cubes to the marinade bowl. Let it rest for 2 hours in the fridge. Then remove it from the refrigerator and let it come back to room temperature like we did in the filet mignon recipe. Let it sit at room temp for about 30 minutes.

4. Cut the onion in half and then cut each half into quarters. Cut the green pepper open and clean out the seeds. Cut the pepper into 1 inch squares (or close to square as you can). You can leave the mushrooms whole, but for larger mushrooms, we recommend you cut them in half. Optionally you can marinade the veggies in Italian dressing.

5. Skewer ewe (well, skewer beef in this case. Lamb kabobs are a different recipe). We like to alternate between onions and peppers, as they add great flavor to the meat while cooking. We also throw the mushrooms in every now and then. The onion, peppers and meat play well with the mushrooms. It's nice to see the meat and vegetables getting along so well.

6. After assembling the kabobs, brush some oil on the skewered meat and veggies at this point, to keep them from sticking.

7. Prep the grill. If using gas, heat the grill on high for 10 minutes prior to cooking.  If cooking on coals, it is best to use natural hardwood charcoal.  Add enough coals to cook over a high heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Grill 'em. Place the kabobs on the hot grill directly over the flame or coals.  Keep the lid open since we are cooking on direct heat.  Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating 90 degrees every 4 minutes, until the meat is cooked to desired level of doneness.  Remove the kabobs from the grill and let them rest for 3 or 4 minutes before serving.

9. Meat on a stick!

Source: Grilling Companion