Grilled Kebabs, a Neanderthal Delicacy

In this entry, I want to walk you through a very simple, yet delicious meal that just about anyone can make on the grill. You've seen them at the butcher's in your local supermarket, maybe you have ordered them at a restaurant before or perhaps you have even attempted to make them yourself...I'm talking about Shish-Kebabs! Again, the idea here is to start slow and build up as you become more comfortable cooking on the grill. Kebabs are great to make on the grill and an even better if you build your own instead of buying the pre-made ones at the store. Not only will you be able to pick and choose your ingredients, but you will also get to practice your knife skills!
As with anytime you cook, the number one goal is to prepare SAFE food. It could be the tastiest steak you and your friends have ever had but if you happened to get raw chicken juice on the steak before throwing it on the grill, the only thing you and your friends will remember about the meal is the countless hours spent in the bathroom. Therefore, avoiding cross-contamination is very important..especially when cooking with two different types of meat. With my obligatory food safety speech out of the way, let’s get to cooking!!
Kebabs have been around for a LONG time...literally. They were first used when mid evil Turkish soldiers would skewer meats on their swords and roast them on an open fire. A lot has changed since then but the concept is still pretty much the same. I would avoid using a sword for a skewer unless you really really want to. The first thing you want to do is choose your meats and your vegetables. You can make kebabs with as many different types of meat as you want, as long as they are on separate kebabs. For our kebabs we will use chicken and beef, red onion, mushroom, green pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and grape tomatoes. Here is the recipe:

4 servings (2 kebabs/serving)

1lb chicken breast, cubed 1''x1''
1lb Sirloin, cubed 1''x1''
1 Zucchini, large dice (1''x1'')
1 small Red Onion, large dice
4-8 large button mushrooms
1 large green pepper, large dice
16 sweet grape tomatoes
1/4 cup herb oil marinade (recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste
8 wooden skewers soaked in water for at least 2 hours

Method:
To build your skewer, you can use any order you would like. For presentation and to help the kebabs cook evenly, space the meat throughout the skewer with an equal amount of vegetables between each piece. Once you have built your kebabs, marinade them in the herb oil for approximately one hour. Now its time to start cooking! After your previously heated grill is HOT and clean, oil it up a little to prevent sticking. Season the kebabs with salt and pepper and place on the grill at a 45 degree angle against the rods of the grill. This little trick will help you produce those fancy 'diamond' grill marks. Allow the kebab to cook on each side for around 3 minutes on each side for the chicken to reach a safe internal temperature (165 degrees). For the beef it depends on how you like your beef cooked. For rare, rotate every 2 minutes, Three minutes for medium rare and so on and so forth. (Hint: if you like your beef very rare, I suggest 'blanching' your vegetables in boiling water for a quick minute; this will ensure that your veggies are fully cooked when your beef has reached its desired temp of rare.) When your meat has cooked completely, remove from the grill and let it rest for 2 minutes and you are ready to go!



Herb Oil Marinade
1 Bunch Parsley
10 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs worth of rosemary leaves
2 sprigs worth of oregano leaves
4 garlic cloves
2 cups canola oil

Method:
Combine all ingredients and blend until herbs and garlic are pureed. Add to meats, chicken and vegetables 2-24 hours before cooking for bright, fresh flavors.

Grilling (grill·ing)

Grilling (grill·ing)


The dictionary defines grilling in the following manner:


1. To broil on a gridiron


If you read down a few lines it lists synonyms for grilling...one of them is "torture"!! Not to worry, I don't plan on torturing you! There will be no instructions on how to slap information out of a suspect or how to waterboard...instead we will focus on how to make a delicious, simple meal on my favorite summer time accessory..the grill!


I could go on and on and on about the basics of grilling. I feel, however that a streamlined version will suit you much better. No sense in bogging you down with extra information when most of it will come as common sense. Here are my 3 rules for getting your fired up and ready to go before you even slap one fat steak on the grill:


1. Your grill has to be HOT!!- most grills have a thermometer..unless you are performing a slow cooking operation the grill should be at least 350 degrees.


2. Keep the grill clean! -you can't underestimate the value of a good grill brush. No one wants to eat a steak covered in burnt scraps from your last grilling affair.


3. Oil the grill- you can either use a towel that has been oiled or some sort of pan spray that will NOT engulf in flames as you spray it.

You'd think that seems easy but, with so many different things going on at once, some people tend to forget the basics.

Direct or Indirect Grilling?

Some of you may just read that and said "huh?", so I'll explain:

Direct grilling refers to the placement of the food in relation to the heat source (charcoals, gas burner). When using direct grilling, you are using all of the available burners on your gas grill or have your charcoals spread evenly throughout the grill. Direct grilling is what you would use for your more common grill tasks such as chicken breasts, steaks, pork chops...things that usually do not take a tremendous amount of time to cook.

Indirect Grilling is the opposite of direct grilling. Instead of placing the food directly above the heat source, you push the coals over to one side or all sides leaving a large space in the center, OR leave your middle burner off while the surrounding burners remain on. This is a great technique for cooking things that take a long time. The idea is that if you are cooking something such as ribs, whole chickens, brisket or a large roast..you do not want to burn the outside of the meat while waiting for it to fully cook. You should always LEAVE the lid closed when using indirect cooking because there is no need to turn the meat. Don't be tempted to see how it is coming along because you will lose all of your heat.

Choosing meat for the grill

Theoretically, you can grill any cut of meat you'd like. Unfortunately it isn't as simple a that. For example, you wouldn't cook a brisket for the same amount of time and at the same temperature as a ribeye. Tough cuts of meat require a 'low and slow' approach while tender steaks require high heat and faster cooking times. You should always trim any excess fat off of a piece of meat before grilling it. This will help prevent flare ups on the grill. Note: when flames actually touch the meat from one of these flare ups, it leaves a nasty flavor that no one really enjoys. This also means that if you use an oil based marinade, you should be sure to drain any excess oil off of the food before placing on the grill. Pay close attention to the thickness of your meat as it will influence the cooking time.

Don't forget your vegetables!

One of the many great things about using a grill is its versatility. When you think about grilling think that your grill is strictly a carnivore because some of the tastiest vegetable preparations involve a grill. What I'm basically saying is that the grill basically makes everything taste better. Lot's of vegetables turn out great when cooked on the grill: zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, corn on the cob, mushrooms, asparagus. Use a little bit of oil, salt and pepper and you will be delighted with what you end up with.

Making your food taste better!

MARINADES!! They are a great way to spice things up or take a different spin on one of your favorite cuts of meat. Marinades really serve two purposes. The first is to add or enhance the flavor of your meat. The second is to tenderize. A marinade such as a brine that uses water, salt, sugar and vinegar is designed mainly to tenderize an otherwise tougher piece of meat. This is accomplished by the acid from the vinegar breaking breaking down the meat and making it more tender.

Most marinades are multitaskers, they will add flavor while they tenderize the meat to a certain extent. Marinades can be purchased in stores or can be very easily made at home. Here are a few tips for using marinades.

1. Do not add salt to marinade. Adding salt to a marinade will, in my opinion make your meat less 'juicy' by drawing out the moisture. Many store bought marinades are very high in sodium so be sure marinade meat in them for a long period of time.

2. Be mindful of marinades that are high in sugar. Sugar and honey taste great in marinades but you have to be careful not to use extremely high heat when using them. Sugars burn very quickly and will ruin your food by giving it a bitter taste. Burnt sugar on creme brulee = good. Burnt sugar on grilled chicken legs = nasty!

3.If marinading fish, avoid using acids such as citrus fruits or vinegars or you will end up with civeche which you will find is very hard to grill. The proteins in fish can be essentially cooked by the acids without ever being exposed to heat.

I know what you are thinking...'shut up already and tell us how to grill' Well, this is how to grill. There is more to it then just tossing some food on the grill, turning it a couple of times and calling it dinner. Some of this information above will help you become a better cook and not just on the grill. It's all about techniques and being able to apply them. Soon, I will post a few recipes simple recipes that you can use with the information i just gave you. As we get into more difficult recipes I will update this page with more information on technique.