Beef Kabobs

Florida is on fire right now. As of this morning, 250 wild fires raged throughout the state. For weeks now smoke has hung heavy in the air. This happens every year. Wildfires are so common, in fact, that a species of pine tree found here, the Marsh Pine, has evolved to only release its seeds when burned.


All this smoke has made me think of grilling. I know. I’m weird like that.




Few things are more satisfying than food on a stick

Servings: 4-6
Time: Prep: 15 minutes; Marinade time: 2-6 hours; Cook: 40 minutes
Hardware: A grill, measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board, a zester, a gallon Ziplock bag, a large glass bowl, a small plastic container with a lid, a pot, a paper towel, skewers, tongs, an old dish rag, a grill, a microwave, a brush, 2 plates

Marinade

• ¾ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup lemon juice and the zest of one lemon
• ¼ cup limejuice and the zest of one lime
• 1 cup of orange juice
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

 Shish Kabobs

• 1 pound beef (sirloin, top sirloin, filet)
• 10 baby potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 10 large white mushrooms
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes
• cooking spray
• oil for the grill

1.  If you are using bamboo skewers soak them in water for 30 minutes. This will prevent them from burning. Weight them down in the sink with a plate.
2. Cut the meat into bite size chunks. Try to make the chunks the same size so that they will cook evenly.
3. In a large glass bowl, mix all of the marinade ingredients. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade. Store it in the fridge in the plastic container. Put the steak in the Ziploc. Pour the remaining marinade in the bag too. Place that in the fridge. (I always put this in a bowl, bag and all, because sometimes those zippers unzip. Not fun.) Marinate the steak from 2-6 hours, turning the bag over every once in a while.
• Don’t marinate the meat for too long or it will become mushy.
4. Wash the potatoes and boil them for 10ish minutes.  They should be completely cooked, but still firm enough to be skewered with out falling apart.  Drain them.
5. Remove the steak from the fridge and allow it to sit out for 30 minutes. This allows it to return to room temperature and helps everything cook evenly.
6. While the meat is resting wash and prep the veggies. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. (Chop these up and toss them in a salad.) Seed the peppers and remove the white ribs. Cut the peppers and onions into 1-1 ½ inch squares.
7. Spray the skewers with cooking spray.
8. Drain the steak and pat dry. Discard the used marinade.
9. Create the kabobs by skewering the meat and veggies.
• Vary the order that you add the ingredients. I like to put the tomatoes on the ends so that they don’t over cook and fall off.  Try to put the potatoes toward the center to make sure that they are completely cooked.
10. Spray the kabobs with cooking spray.
11. Warm the reserved marinade in the microwave.
12. Prepare the grill by using the old rag and tongs to coat the grill with oil. This will ensure that the kabobs don’t stick and that you get those groovy grill marks.
13. Start the fire.  You should grill the kabobs on an uncovered grill over direct flames. Grill for them for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating ¼ turn every few minutes. Cook 10 minutes for rare, 12 for medium rare.
14. Remove the kabobs from the grill to a clean plate. Brush all the kabobs with the warm reserved marinade. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

 Serve with a salad.