Grilled Kebabs: Basic How-To

Grilling kebabs

Could anything be more basic than cooking food on a stick over heat? According to Wikipedia, shish-kebab is a Turkish phrase which translates into “skewered grilled meat”, but kebabs are prepared in various ways all over the world from Malaysia to Africa to India. The first historical reference to cooking shish-kebabs is from 800 B.C. in ancient Greece, but humans have been grilling food for about 1.5-2 million years and I am pretty sure some version of kebabs (mammoth, anyone?) was on the menu at the first grilling party.

Modern grillers can pick and choose from any number of meats, vegetables, marinades, sauces, breads and side dishes to create unique ethnic kebabs. And grilled kebabs are not only easy to make, they are easy to eat: just slide everything off of the skewer with a fork, and it’s ready to eat in bite-sized pieces.

Kebabs are one of my favorites for grilling for parties because you can do a lot of the work ahead of time, and the grilling is quick and easy. Plus, they are a nice change from the usual burgers and hotdogs, and healthier too.

Here is a summary of grilling kebabs. Specific recipes are here. I’m starting with Chicken Teriyaki but will be adding more types every week this summer as grilling season progresses.

Overview

Making kebabs consists of 4 basic steps: Preparing the food ingredients in bite-sized pieces, marinating the food for flavor, threading the food on skewers, and grilling the kebabs.

1. Preparing the food pieces

• Primary consideration is to cut food pieces up into bite-sized pieces — 1-2 inches square — so that all food cooks quickly and evenly.
• Meat - Most common is lamb, beef, chicken or pork, but you can use ham, sausage, venison, goat, or no meat at all.
• Amounts - estimate 1/3-1/2 lb of meat per person.
• Vegetables and Fruits  - Most common are bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, pineapple, cherry tomatoes and zuchinni. You can use any veggies you want but the main consideration is that the veggie piece should be easily skewered and cooked with everything else. So, if you want to use a vegetable that requires longer cooking, such as potatoes, you have to partially pre-cook them (do not fully cook them or they might fall apart when skewered).

2. Marinate

• To marinate: Place the bite-sized pieces of meat and vegetables in a container (or gallon zip-lock bags), cover completely with marinade sauce and blend so all pieces are coated.
• Marinating ingredients allows the flavor to be infused in the individual food pieces.
• Marinate from 1- 24 hours or more, depending on the recipe.
• Always discard marinade after meat has soaked in it, as it may contain harmful bacteria if re-used.
• Save and refrigerate sauce (that is not used to marinade meat) for brushing while grilling.

3. Prepare the grill

• Make sure grates are clean.
• Start charcoal to create a medium-high heat for the entire surface of the grill.
• You’ll need tongs, a brush and a mitt.
• Place the brushing sauce nearby for brushing while grilling.

4. Skewer the food (you can do this while the coals are starting):

• Use metal skewers or wooden ones that have been soaked in water for 15-30 minutes (so they don’t burn).
• If you’re using wooden skewers, leave an inch at the non-pointy end for holding.
• Alternate pieces in a consistent pattern for a professional look.
• Leave a small bit of space (1/16 inch)  between each piece so pieces grill thoroughly.
• You can make special kebabs for special preferences: for my daughter, I make kebabs without onions, or you can make vegetarian kebabs for non-meat-eaters.
• You’ll need an extra-long platter to hold the kebabs. You can use a tray covered in tin-foil.

5. Grill the kebabs:

• When coals are ready, place each kebab on the grill.
• Some people like to spray kebabs with pil but it’s not necessary.
• Depending on the heat of the grill, turn kebabs after about 2-3 minutes of cooking, or when meat is well browned.
• You will be cooking 4 sides of the kebabs. The first side takes the longest to cook; the other sides take 1-2 minutes each. Maybe longer — it all depends on the heat of your grill.
• Brush the kebabs lightly while grilling.
• Sometimes the chunks of meat or veggies slide around the skewer, so watch them to make sure all sides of all pieces are getting cooked. Obviously, it’s most important to make sure the meat is being cooked properly.
• You may need to move kebabs around on the grill to cook thoroughly.
• Kebabs are done when all sides of the meat chunks are firm, brown. Chicken juices should be clear.
• Remove from the grill and let cool for a minute or two.
• Remove from the skewer by holding the skewer with the pointy side pointed towards the plate, about an inch away. Hold the end of the skewer firmly above it. Place a fork about halfway up the skewer, with the tines on either side. Slide the fork down so the bottom portion of the pieces of food fall on the plate. Repeat for the top portion.

Tags: Basic How-To, BBQ, Grilled, kebabs, Summer