Kebab frenzy!!

I plan on making some of these this weekend!  My mom and dad used to throw these on the grill when I was a kid…loved the smell and taste!  🙂

My kabobs…30 years later:

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The recipe (taken from various websites, click link to see original):

Beef Kebabs Recipe

  • Prep time: 45 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes

Using bamboo or wooden skewers instead of metal will help keep the steak from getting overcooked on the inside. Metal transfers heat, so is useful to use for chicken, or a meat that you want to cook all the way through, but not so useful for steak that you want done rare or medium rare.

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Kebab Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs top sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 large bell pepper
  • 1-2 medium red onions
  • 1/2 to a pound button mushrooms
  • About 20 bamboo or wooden skewers

Method

1 Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and add the meat. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably several hours or even overnight. (Heck, I’ve kept the meat marinating for a couple days, still great.)

2 Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. This will help prevent them from completely burning up on the grill.

3 Cut the vegetables into chunks roughly the width of the beef pieces. Taking care not to poke yourself, thread the meat and vegetables onto double bamboo skewers. One way to do this safely is to put the piece that you are trying to pierce on a cutting board, and then push the skewers through the piece to the board. Using double skewers will help you turn the kebabs on the grill. If you keep a little space between the pieces, they will grill more evenly. Paint the kebabs with some of the remaining marinade.

3 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is, and how done you would like your meat, turning occasionally. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

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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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Meat on a stick!

Now you too can enjoy this wonderful beef shish kabob recipe.  Keep coming back to see our other shish kebab recipes and other uses for skewers.

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Persian Ground Meat Kebab (Kebab’e Kubide) Print E-mail
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KosherEye.com

Adapted from Persian Food from the Non-persian Bride, by Reyna Simnegar

What does a “regular” American mother send in a lunchbox to school? Maybe a peanut butter sandwich? Perhaps a tuna sandwich? Well, guess what my mother-in-law sent inside my husband’s lunchbox? Chelo Kebab! (rice with kebab). When I learned about this I thought to myself… “How cruel!  Was it not enough that the poor kid could not speak a word of English? Did she have to also humiliate him in front of the other kids with this crazy ‘fresh-off-the-boat’ concoction?”  Well, after thoroughly investigating the matter, my husband confessed to having been a victim of constant threats at school. That is, constant threats from kids trying to convince him to switch his lunch with them…. I guess what I thought was child abuse ended up being what every kid in the school wanted! Today my kids eat kebabies galore and I have to beg them to use forks and leave a few behind for Baba (Dad, in Farsi)! You can also make kebab with ground turkey…much better for your health! Kebabs are served over chelo (Persian white rice) sprinkled with sumac powder, along with grilled tomatoes, onions, pickles, and Salad Shirazy!

Ingredients:

Meat Mixture:
2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, pressed or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric or 1/2  teaspoon ground saffron
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sumac (optional)l
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Basting Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oill
1/4  teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm waterl
Pinch of salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all meat mixture ingredients.

In a second bowl, combine all basting ingredients.

At this point you have 2 choices.

Choice #1: You can grill the kebab, shaping it onto 1/2-inch wide flat metal cooking skewers or by shaping them like Israeli kebabs (flattened ellipses) and placing them directly on the grill.

Choice #2: You can broil the meat in the oven in the shape of flattened ellipses or by pressing the meat into a lasagna pan and cutting it into strips before broiling it.

Directions for Choice #1:
Make balls of meat the size of an orange. Pierce the meat with the skewer and shape firmly around the metal, flattening it to resemble a large flat sausage.

Place 3–inches from flame and grill for about 5 minutes per side, turning constantly to prevent the meat from falling into the flames. When ready, remove from the skewers with a piece of flatbread or a wrap. Baste with basting sauce and serve the meat immediately with white Persian rice (Chelo).

If you don’t have flat metal skewers, you can also shape the meat into flattened torpedoes and cook right over the grill grid for about 5 minutes per side. If you use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness, the temperature should read 140°F. Remove from the grill, baste with basting sauce, and serve immediately.

Directions for Choice #2:
Preheat oven to broil. Spray canola oil over a baking sheet if you want to shape the meat like flattened torpedoes or spray a 9″x13″ lasagna pan if you want to cut it into strips.

Wet your hands and shape meat torpedoes. Make the ellipses about 2″x4″x1″ each; these will shrink dramatically as you broil them. Place the torpedoes side by side on the baking sheet or press all the meat into the 9″x13″ pan and, using a sharp knife, cut the meat into 1½-inch strips. This last method resembles the authentic Kebab and, once the meat has cooked, it will be easy to separate the strips from one another.

Broil close to the heat source for 7 minutes or until the meat has nicely browned. Take the baking sheet out, turn the kebabs over and continue cooking for 8-10 more minutes, farthest from the heat. If you used the 9″x13″ pan, you do not have to turn the kebabs over. If you use an instant-read thermometer, the meat will be done at 140°F.

Baste with basting sauce and serve immediately with over white Persian rice (Chelo).

Notes:

Yield: 11 Kebabs

You are what you eat:
Sumac is probably the most exotic and interesting spice I have ever encountered. It originates from Turkey; some varieties are from Italy. The shrub’s petals and berries are dried up and ground into a purple burgundy powder with a strong acid taste. When mixed with water it can be used for the same purposes as lime juice, but will tint everything, including your teeth, purple!

Tricks of the trade:
If using metal skewers, make sure they are dry and cold before pressing meat onto them.  Do not use dirty skewers. I like using metal skewers with wooden handles because the metal gets very hot. Do not oil the metal skewers, as this will prevent the meat from attaching. Also, keep your hands wet when handling ground beef and it will not stick to your hands

Recipes: Meat, Ground Beef or Turkey, Kebabs, Persian, Kosher

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Turkish Shish Kebabs with Garlicky Tahini

Turkish Shish Kebabs with Garlicky Tahini

Contributed by Steven Raichlen
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • STAFF-FAVORITE

Turkish pit masters devised an ingenious “divide and conquer” approach to shish kebabs: They grill the meat and vegetables separately to allow foods with different cooking times to reach the perfect degree of doneness.

Plus: More Grilling Recipes and Tips

  1. 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  2. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
  3. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  4. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  5. 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  6. 1 teaspoon dried mint
  7. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  8. 1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  9. 1 small bunch of fresh mint
  10. 1 large red onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
  11. 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
  12. 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 2-inch pieces
  13. Vegetable oil, for the grill
  14. Garlicky Tahini
  15. Lemon wedges and pita bread, for serving
  1. In a large bowl, combine the garlic with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, salt, pepper, dried mint and oregano. Add the lamb, toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 hours.
  2. Thread the lamb onto skewers, placing 1 fresh mint leaf between the pieces of meat. Skewer alternate pieces of onion and bell pepper and brush lightly with olive oil.
  3. Light a grill. Lightly brush the grate with vegetable oil and grill the lamb and vegetables over a medium-hot fire, turning frequently, until the lamb is medium, about 6 minutes, and the vegetables are tender and lightly charred, about 8 minutes. Let the kebabs stand for 2 minutes, then serve with the Garlicky Tahini, lemon wedges and pita bread.

Suggested Pairing

The berrylike fruit of a young, robust Zinfandel has an affinity with grilled lamb, especially when the dish includes pungent garlic and herbs.

Food & Wine Recipe

Garlicky Tahini

Contributed by Steven Raichlen
  • SERVINGS: Makes about 1 cup
  • FAST
  • HEALTHY
  • MAKE-AHEAD

Cooks throughout the Middle and Near East serve this creamy, garlicky condiment as a sauce for grilled lamb. It is also wonderful with chicken or swordfish.

  1. 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  2. 1/3 cup tahini
  3. 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  4. 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  5. 1/3 cup water
  6. 1 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  8. 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  1. In a blender, puree the garlic with the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, water, salt and pepper until smooth. If the sauce appears thick, add a little more water. Scrape the sauce into a bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Make Ahead The sauce can be refrigerated for 1 week. Bring to room temperature and stir before serving. Serve With Turkish Shish Kebabs with Garlicky Tahini

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Turkish Kebabs

By: RACHEY638 Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)

“This is my version of Turkish kebabs which I made ‘off the cuff’ after searching unsuccessfully for a recipe online. The original sandwiches are made from meat that is pressed into a loaf and grilled on a rotating spit. The meat is shaved off as it gets crispy and then put into a pita sandwich. My recipe calls for thin slices of meat to be marinated and then broiled to get the same effect without a huge rotating grill. Serve in a warmed pita with goat cheese, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pepperoncinis.”
Prep Time:
40 Min
Cook Time:
10 Min
Ready In:
1 Day 50 Min

Servings  (Help)

US Metric Calculate

Original Recipe Yield 6 kebabs

Ingredients

  • Marinade:
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 pinch curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound beef flank steak, thinly sliced
  • Tzatziki Sauce:
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 6 pita bread rounds

Directions

  1. Place the chopped onions in a large ceramic bowl and crush with the bottom of a glass until juice is rendered and onions look translucent. Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper, turmeric, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well; add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
  2. Combine the sour cream, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, dill, and 1 crushed clove of garlic. Mix well; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
  4. Remove the meat from the marinade mixture, brushing off extra onions. Spread the slices on a baking sheet without overlapping, and salt to taste. Broil about 3 minutes per side or until browned and crispy, turning halfway through cooking.
  5. Divide the cooked meat between the pita breads, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce to serve.

Footnotes

  • Cook’s Note
  • You can use chicken instead of beef, too.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 512 | Total Fat: 34.3g | Cholesterol: 33mg
 

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