Skewered (the kebab topic)

[Fat Guy]

I'm in the very early stages of a kebab obsession, and plan to cook many of them over the course of the next few months. I have only rudimentary knowledge of what to do, however.

We can use this topic to discuss anything there is to discuss about kebabs, however I'll mention a few of my specific restrictions:

1 - I don't have a grill, so my kebabs have to be done under the broiler or, I guess, in a grill pan (but I prefer the broiler).

2 - The combination of preferences in my household means the only meats I'll use are beef and chicken in relatively antiseptic forms (boneless, skinless, trimmed of visible fat, etc.). Fish and shellfish are fine too. No bell peppers.

3 - For now, on account of our toddler's palate, nothing particularly spicy (as in hot peppers).

4 - I'm willing to invest in some good skewers, but don't really know what to get.

Wisdom, advice? Please don't feel restricted by my needs.

[Cleo]

I, too, live in an apartment without a grill and I make kebabs fairly often. I put them under the broiler and just keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn.

I use the wooden skewers, nothing fancy. I soak them in water for a little while before hand so they get a little moist, and then I wrap the ends in foil to make sure that they don't burn.

Tonight we are having this Sesame Beef version, but the possibilities are endless. I've never done fish -- just chicken and beef. Usually I marinate with some kind of asian flavors, but on occasion I just use a combination of whatever I have handy -- garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, etc.

In a few months we are moving to the suburbs (gasp!) and one of our first purchases for the new house will be a grill for the backyard. No more stinking up the apartment when I make steak!

[Smithy]

Someplace around here there's quite a good thread about kebabs....ah, here it is: Kebabs, Satays and Skewers -- Cook-Off XXIV. You'll find a wealth of knowledge there and may even have something to add to the thread. (Remember, it's never too late to participate in a cook-off. [/chrisamirault])

One of my favorite ways to do kebabs is to marinade the bits of meat according to a recipe I got from my mother, long since deposited (the recipe, not my mother) here in RecipeGullet. It works equally well for beef, chicken, lamb or venison. I've been told it works well on pork also.

Here are some tricks I've picked up over the years:

Segregate the components onto separate skewers. The classic kebab with tomatoes, onions, pepper chunks and bits of meat all strung together looks good, but you can end up with some things overcooked and charred or falling apart by the time the meat is done. If you do one or two skewers with the tomatoes, one or two with the meat, and so on, you can cook everything more evenly, then mix them when serving.

I've always had problems with round skewers. A piece of food skewered off-center will tend to rotate heavy side down on the skewer, making it difficult to get even cooking. My way around that has been flat metal skewers. After I'd acquired my nice flat metal skewers, somebody (no doubt here) pointed out that you can use 2 round skewers spaced slightly apart to get the same effect.

Metal skewers have the additional advantage that you don't need to pre-soak them like bamboo skewers, but you must remember to use potholders or tongs when you handle them. You'll only forget that once, unless you're me, in which case you'll forget twice.

[scubadoo97]

I have both metal and bamboo skewers. I use the bamboo most often. Of the metal variety the wider flat ones will keep food from rotating on the skewer. Using the bamboo do soak and when skewering shrimp run the skewer in the area just above the tail and then near the thickest part to form a U shape. This holds them in place very well. I often use double skewers for meats so they stay put. This works for cubes of meat and ground meat kebabs as well. Smithy gave good information on keeping food segregated so it cooks evenly. Try to have uniformity in size so there is even cooking unless you are trying to achieve a variety of doneness. In my household some like it red, pink and well done.

[infernooo]

My favourites include (in no particular order):

* Souvlaki (Greek)

* Chicken Yakitori (Japanese)

* Chicken/beef/pork satay (Malaysian)

Here is my recipe for Chicken Yakitori, it works every time!

Chicken Yakitori:

Chicken thighs (or breasts if no other choice) cubed

Spring/green onions

Glaze/Sauce:

1/2 cup Shoyu (Soy Sauce)

1/2 cup Mirin

1/2 cup Sake

1/4 cup Sugar

1.) Alternate chicken pieces and pieces of spring/green onion on skewers.

2.) Simmer Glaze/Sauce until reduced by at least half and almost syrupy.

3.) Brush chicken/onion skewers with oil, Grill or pan fry until well browned on both sides

4.) Brush on glaze and cook until heavily glazed.

5.) Serve with sushi rice (sushi rice made as usual - i.e. with sugar, salt and rice vinegar added after cooking).

6.) Sprinkle on chopped Spring/green onions.

For souvlaki, I usually use lamb or chicken and make it as follows:

* Marinate chicken/lamb in Extra virgin olive oil, salt, lemon juice and dried greek oregano for at least a few hours

* Thread onto skewers and grill until browned and cooked to the desired degree (chicken just cooked, lamb still medium-rare). Just before taking off the grill, squeeze with lemon juice to get a sizzling-caramelised-lemon-juice-flavour.

* Serve with rice or pita bread and wedges of lemon

Oh and the type of skewers doesn't really matter IMO... bamboo will give a slightly charred smokey flavour (on top of that smokey flavour you get from the grill or a hot grill pan), metal skewers will help cook the inside of the meat (perhaps less suited to lamb or other meats you may cook to just medium-rare).

I either cook in a grill pan, in a fry pan or under the broiler (least preferred method).

Edited February 26, 2007 by infernooo (log)

[SuzySushi]

We do skewered foods a lot because they cook so quickly and are a crowd- and child-pleaser! Indoors, I used to do them under the broiler, but now mostly cook them on a George Foreman grill.

I have an assortment of skewers: stainless steel and aluminum (inherited from my mother) and bamboo. The aluminum ones I have are easist to turn because they have a loop at the end. Bamboo is best for smaller cubes of food because the skewers are the thinnest. If you're using bamboo, make sure to soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before using.

Several tried-and-true recipes:

Beef Teriyaki

(I think this originally came from a Trader Vic's cookbook -- I got it more than 25 years ago from a Filipina friend in NYC!)

Serves 4

1 pound beef, cut in 1" cubes

1 15-ounce can juice-pack pineapple chunks

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Combine all ingredients, including liquid from pineapple, and marinate, covered and refrigerated, 3 hours. Thread beef and pineapple alternately on skewers. Broil about 8 minutes, turning once.

Serpentine Beef (Malaysia)

Serves 4

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon (or more) curry powder

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 pound beef , sliced very thinly, then cut in strips

Combine first 5 ingredients, mixing well. Add beef. Marinate, refrigerated, 2 to 3 hours, turning occasionally. Thread meat strips on skewers, weaving them in and out. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

Note: You can also use meat cut in cubes, but then the beef isn't "serpentine."

East-West Skewered Beef

Serves 6

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef, cut in 1" cubes

Combine all ingredients except beef. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup for basting. Add beef to remaining marinade. Marinate, covered and refrigerated, 30 minutes or longer. Thread beef on skewers; discard marinade. Grill or broil, turning and basting occasionally with reserved marinade, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Grilled Chicken with Mint (Middle East)

Serves 6

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1-3/4 pounds chicken cutlets, cut in 1/2" cubes

Combine first 6 ingredients. Add chicken and marinate, refrigerated, at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Thread chicken on soaked bamboo skewers. Grill or broil 3 to 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.