Tips For The Ultimate Kebabs
Shish kebabs seem like one of the easiest dishes to make, especially for someone who attended online culinary school. However, more often than not, a kebab comes out with the meat too tough, the veggies too crunchy, or a bland flavor. It seems there may be a bit more to these classic grilled dishes than meets the eye. Here are a few tips to ensure your next batch of kebabs doesn’t fall short:
Cut your ingredients evenly
Sure, it can be tough to cut an onion into a similar size as a piece of steak, but you’ll find that the extra effort it takes is worth it. By cutting all of your ingredients into the same size, they’ll cook evenly. This will keep your veggies from charring while your steak is still rare. Use quick-cooking veggies like onions or peppers for seafood kebabs, and make steak or chicken kebabs with denser vegetables, like cherry tomatoes or zucchini, that won’t burn as quickly. If you can’t seem to reach a happy medium, you can always cook the meat on separate skewers from the vegetables and take them off the skewers to combine in a bowl when they’re finished grilling.
“Leave some space between meat and vegetables.”
Don’t overload the skewers
Have you ever had a kebab where the meat is charred on the outside, but hardly cooked closer to the skewer? This could be because the heat from the grill wasn’t able to circulate around the meat. While it may seem more economical to put as many pieces of meat and vegetables on one skewer, you’ll have a much more satisfying meal if you keep some distance between each item so they can cook evenly.
Experiment with marinades
It can be tough to find the perfect combination of marinade and seasonings to complement your meat and vegetables. So don’t hesitate to try a few the first time you make kebabs! This can be especially beneficial if you’re making kebabs with more than one type of meat. Consider a sweet marinade made with honey, one that’s tangier by using teriyaki sauce, and if you like some heat, a sriracha marinade. Keep plenty of seasonings, like sage, bay leaves, cayenne pepper or rosemary on hand too. You’ll be sure to figure out a favorite that you can revisit time and time again.
