Summertime is the best time to have kebobs- out on the grill, finally! Although here, it’s been a very rainy season plus with Ramadan falling in summer this year, it’s been a little difficult to get out on the BBQ before dark, so this recipe can be made indoors or out. I’ll show you how.
Here’s what you need:
Fresh beef cubes (such as for stew). I’m using the newest product out of Crescent Foods, their grass fed, hormone & antibiotic-free beef~ very exciting! Use their store locator to see if a nearby location sells it in your area.
Fresh herbs- I use mint, oregano, marjoram, rosemary- basically everything I have growing in my garden right now.
Plus spices- ground cumin, black pepper and salt. Also citrus zest, minced garlic and fresh lime.
For the skewers, you can use a variety of veggies, but I chose red pepper, green pepper, onion and tomatoes. I like red, white and green, for some strange reason.
To get started mixing up the ingredients, you’ll first make a paste- that helps the spices to stick to the meat nicely and for the garlic not to burn when cooking.
I like to use a mortar and pestle because you can really control how densely you’ll pound it all together. You can also do this in a small spice grinder or food processor, if you wish. Basically, you’re just making a paste out of the ingredients: minced garlic, salt and pepper.
Next, remove the leaves from the stems of fresh herbs. You can even chop them finely or pound them into the paste above, too.
Just make sure they’re small if you’re interested in keeping them in the meat mixture marinade when cooking the meat; if not, it’s just for flavor during the time it marinates.
Next, add the cumin to the meat. This could also have been added to the garlic paste made above- quite honestly, I just forgot to do it, but since it’s already a powder, it’s fine to add like this. The point is to make sure the spices will adhere to the meat.
Add the citrus zest, fresh or dried.
Add the garlic paste.
And the herbs.
Add the olive oil.
Mix all together.
Add the lime juice, lime faced down.
Helps it squeeze out everything…
Let the meat marinate like this for at least 30 minutes, refrigerated.
Now prepare the skewers. The very first vegetable cut should be pushed down with the inside facing up, as it serves sort of like a holder for the next few items.
I place a pepper, then tomato, then meat then onion and pepper. Repeat. It seems to hold nicely like this.
Two to three pieces of meat on an average size skewer seems to work nicely. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you’ll be making these in an oven (which you can absolutely do).
Or prepare a grill- get it nice and hot before you place the skewers on top.
Cooking times will vary (see directions below), depending up on whether or not you’ll be grilling indoors or out, or roasting these in the oven.
Either way, I like to serve on top of buttery saffron Basmati rice. Tender meat, grilled vegetables and buttery rice. What could be better on a summer day?
What’s your favorite way to have kebobs?