Written by Kabobs – originally from the middle east, but seemingly every culture has some kind of “kebab” – from Asian satay, Greek solvaki, Indian kakori or kalmi, French brochette to Japanese yakatori. Kabobs are a sure sign of summer. Easy to grill, barbecue or broil, your kabobs will make the “grill-miester” of the barbecue shine! Make sure and read the “Tips” at the bottom!
Chicken Kabobs
#1 Herbed Flavor – 1/2 C of chicken broth or white wine with a good dash each of savory, thyme, marjoram, oregano and rosemary
#2 Satay Flavor – marinade in 1/2 C of chicken broth (or beer) with a tsp of curry powder, dash turmeric and coriander
#3 Asian Flavor – marinade in 1/2 C soy, 1/4 C sake or mirin, Tbsp crushed ginger and Tbsp sugar
Chicken can be marinaded from 1 to 4 hours.
Beef Kabobs
#1 Korean Flavor: 5-6 green onions-minced, 1/4 C soy sauce, 3 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp pepper, 3 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp sugar. This will marinade up to 4lbs
#2 Teriyaki Flavor – 1/2 C soy, 1/2 sugar, 2 Tbsp ginger, 2 Tbsp minced garlic, 1/8 C mirin, 1 Tbsp sesame oil and a dash of chinese 5 spice. (or use your favorite bottled teriyaki sauce)
Note* – marinade beef no longer than 2 hours
Pork Kabobs
#1 Greek Flavor – 1/2 C beer, lemon zest from half a lemon, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, a good dash of each rosemary, oregano, thyme
#2 Chinese Flavor – 3 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp five-spice powder, 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce, red food colouring (*optional) and 1/3 C sherry or rice wine
Pork can be marinated up to 8 hours
Pork kabob cooking tip – wrap in foil for first 20 minutes on the grill, then uncover and complete grilling
Tips for Best Kabobs
Tip#1 -Easiest method is to mix the marinade in a large re-sealable baggie, then add your meat, mix and refrigerate until ready to put on the skewers.
Tip #2 -If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to submerge the skewers in water for an hour before use, that way they won’t burn up on the bbq! Metal skewers are well worth the investment – they provide more even cooking, too!
Tip#3 -Cut your meat pieces as close to the same size as possible -this ensures better cooking
Tip#4 -Do not crowd your meat together on the skewers, this allows more even cooking
Tip#5 -Add all vegetable kabobs – onion, tomato, zuchinni, yellow squash, pepper slices all grill well
Let your imagination run wild with kabobs – think shrimp, lamb, scallop, potato – all can be done as kabobs!
