Shish Kebabs
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Call them kebabs, kabobs or shish kebabs - it doesn't matter. They look impressive, can be made in advance and are done in about 10 minutes on the grill. What more could you want?
Just thinking about those juicy, succulent meat cubes with tasty, colorful, fresh vegetables (sometimes even fresh fruit) threaded together and seasoned to perfection makes me want to fire up my grill right now! Check out the list of common shish kabob questions below.
Q: How should I cut the meat?
A: First, trim all the visible fat. It'll cause flare ups if any drips into the flame. Cut beef, pork, lamb or chicken into quick, thorough cooking 1 or 2 inch-sized cubes. Your best bet for moist chicken kebabs is to buy boneless, cubed thigh meat rather than easy-to-dry-out breast meat. Leave a quarter inch of space between pieces on the skewer to ensure thorough cooking.
Q: Can I use seafood?
A: You bet. Scallops and firm fleshed fish like tuna or salmon hold its shape and adheres to the skewer better than flaky fish like cod, freshwater bass, perch and catfish. When using shrimp, thread the skewer through both
the head and tail ends. Marinate fish and seafood no more than 30 minutes. Acid marinades (wine, vinegar, citrus) chemically "cook" seafood and toughen it.
Q: Which vegetables should I use?
A: Carrots, onions and yellow, red, orange and green bell peppers are tasty not to mention colorful and visually stimulating choices. Yellow squash, mushrooms, cherry or plum tomatoes, zucchini, washed and scrubbed baby potatoes are also good. Even sweet potato chunks are a tasty option; though
they'll require a quick blanching to ensure fast cooking on the grill. Vegetables should be cut the same size to ensure thorough, even cooking.
Fruits cook faster than vegetables on the grill. Cut fruits like pineapple, banana or mango into larger chunks.
Remember the following:
Marinate meats, seafood in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, like Salmonella or Campylobacter. Don't reuse meat marinade as a basting liquid. Throw it away.
Always wash hands after handling raw seafood or meat.
Metal and disposable bamboo (wooden) skewers are usually found near plastic
utensils, toothpicks, picnic supplies or boxed matches in grocery stores. Bamboo skewers are inexpensive, but must be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent catching fire on the grill. Metal skewers cost more but
are a good investment if you're going to shish kebab regularly.
Coat skewers with cooking spray to prevent food from sticking to them.
Put quick-cooking foods (vegetables, fruit, poultry, seafood) and longer-cooking items (beef, potatoes) on separate skewers. Want to combine them on one skewer? Simply make sure the faster cooking foods are cut into
larger chunks than the slower cooking foods, so they'll both be done at the same time.
Quick tip: Thread food on skewer, marinate in a large zipper-lock plastic bag for easy, no-mess clean up.
Marvelous marinades: Olive oil, chopped garlic, red or white wine, basil, salt, pepper; fresh lemon or orange juice, chopped cilantro, olive oil, chopped garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes; your favorite Italian salad
dressing.
Don't want to marinate? Just brush kebabs with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs like rosemary. Also, thread bay leaves between each chunk of food and grill, discard leaves as you eat.
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