Chicken kebabs

[CDRFloppingham]

My fiance, bless her, volunteered me to grill "meat" at a cookout tomorrow. None of the invitees are real foodies but she has talked me up as a really good home cook. There's additional pressure on me because the host is one of her bosses.

Did I say "bless her" or "dang her"?

But I digress.

I consider myself a pretty good home cook but I haven't cooked on a grill for awhile (it will be a gas grill so that will help).

I bought some nice rib eyes and I will grill them with S&P and serve with some chimichurri and horseradish cream. I have no concern with that aspect of the "meat".

I'm making chicken as kebabs for the non-beef eaters. I think that was fairly smart on my part because they will cook faster and be easier to judge for doneness.

I'm going kinda-Mediterranean on the kebabs. I plan to marinate with a lemon-garlic-oregano-thyme-EVOO mixture and serve with pita and tzatziki.

My question---how long should I marinate the chicken chunks (I plan to make them a generous size (maybe 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch). It BLSL breast meat.

What is the acid:oil ratio that I should be shooting for? Vinaigrette like? More oily? More acid?

I plan to S&P right before grilling...thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Floppy

[emilyr]

I'd probably throw them in the marinade in the morning, but you could really get away with as little as an hour. I would save some out for a dipping sauce if you end up making basically a viniagrette.

Also, I wouldn't go for too oily because you could get some flare ups on the grill. Just enough EVOO to get the marinade to coat well (I'd go with 3 or 4:1 acid to oil) and not huge chunks of garlic and oregano so that you don't get any burned bits during cooking.

[Dave the Cook]

Marinades are a surface treatment, for the most part. An hour or two is fine. If the marinade is too acidic, it will actually turn out to be a bad thing.

Will you be using breast or thigh meat? The latter would be preferable, since it's more flavorful and survives overcooking with more grace. If you're using breast meat, brine it before skewering and marinating -- it will be juicy, well-seasoned and again, will be more forgiving of timing on the grill.

[Matt Furtsy]

I agree with the choice of breast meat for the kebabs-more "non-foodie" friendly. I would stay away from a marinade and go with a brine for a couple of hours (if using wood skewers add them to the brine too, it'll keep them from burning as bad) and then a heavy seasoning right before grilling.

[Dave the Cook]

. . . go with a brine for a couple of hours (if using wood skewers add them to the brine too, it'll keep them from burning as bad) and then a heavy seasoning right before grilling.

←

Right. Just go easy on the salt!

[RAHiggins1]

I like to cut the breasts into long strips and marinate them. When I skewer them I push through an inch or so and give the strip a half twist and skewer another inch. It looks good and it makes the meat an even thickness on the skewer. It takes 2 strips on the short bamboo and three on the long. Be sure to soak the skewers for an hour to keep them from burning on the grill.

I mix med seasonings into the olive oil and rub the meat with it and let it marinate.

I also take some of the seasoning and mix it into plain yogurt with some fresh citrus juice for a dipping sauce.

Edited August 23, 2008 by RAHiggins1 (log)

[scubadoo97]

Keeping with the Mediterranean theme on the chicken I've done many BSCB on the gas grill that have been marinaded in yogurt, EVOO, shawarma spices, S&P that came out great and not dried out. I haven't done them as kabobs but I don't see where that would be a problem unless you over cook them. I marinaded over night in the yogurt mixture. I find that if I cook BSCB on the grill or on a cast iron skillet the key is to not over cook. Just till done with the slightest hint of pink. I like to slice the breast and find the meat quite juicy and flavorful.

[naguere]

Rather than dicing the chicken it is a good idea to cut the breast meat in to long strips and then having soaked the skewers in water

Weave the skewer in and out along each strip.

they cook in no time and are easter to control.

Marinade in peanut butter oil soy sauce and anything you like.

[CDRFloppingham]

Thanks for all the great advice.

I brined for three hours. Alternated with red onion on the skewer. Based with a lemon juice/garlic/oregano/thyme mixture while grilling and served with a very galicky tzatziki.

They were a hit.