Note: The American “Kabob” typically refers to cubes of meat on a skewer. The Middle Eastern “Kebab” is made with herb and garlic-infused ground meat, that is either wrapped around a metal skewer, cinnamon stick or formed into a patty. We’re talking about the American variety here, with a quick digression for the Asian “satay” – but strongly encourage you to check out Michael Solomonov’s Israeli Soul for excellent recipes for Arabic-style, Romanian, Bulgarian kebabs, and more.

 

 

 

Best meat for kabobs

 

Tips for making kabobs

  • Use metal or wood skewers. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water first (use a tall pitcher or 9×13” tray) for 20 minutes, so they don’t burn. You can also use hearty sprigs of rosemary as your skewers (poke holes in the meat with a stronger skewer first, if necessary)
  • If your pieces are a bit irregular, you can change the orientation on the skewer to get similar thickness across the cooking plane (or cut big pieces in half)
  • Thread only meat on the skewer – cook vegetables on their own skewer since they will take a different amount of time to cook

 

 

How to season cubes for kabobs

  • Before cooking:
    • Dry Rub: thread the meat on first, then liberally coat with your favorite dry spice blend before grilling
    • Marinade: combine oil and umami-boosting ingredients like soy sauce, miso, mustard; or make a fresh herb-based marinade by blending 1-2 cups fresh herbs in a food processor with oil, orange juice, coconut milk, etc.
  • During cooking:
    • Baste – for a lacquered effect, brush additional marinade or basting sauce on the meat as it cooks
  • After cooking:
    • Re-marinade: lightly toss cooked meats in a marinade after they are grilled; the moisture will help keep the meat from drying out and the flavors will be first on your tongue. Don’t re-use the marinade that you marinated the raw meat in, however.
    • Serve with a dipping sauce – try techina, aioli, amba, salsa, BBQ sauce

 

 

Strips of meat (“satay” style)

Best Meats to Use: Pepper Steak, Thin-Cut Chicken Breast Filets, Chicken Thigh Filets

These soy-marinated meat sticks are made with thin strips of meat that are threaded onto a stick. Since you’re working with a thinner piece of meat, it will dry out more quickly so take care not to overcook. Ideally, you want to thread the meat in 3 or more places to keep it taught along the stick.

 

 

Great vegetables to grill on skewers

Load up a few skewers of these vegetables to serve alongside your grilled meats.

  • Summer Squash
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Pineapple
  • Radishes
  • Onions, cut in 1/8ths
  • Mushrooms

 

 

Grilling instructions

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill with a hot and a cool side. Sear kabobs over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, using tongs to flip (remember, metal skewers will get very hot!). If your pieces are 1”, this will probably be enough cooking. If using larger pieces, or chicken, transfer to the cooler side of the grill and allow to finish cooking, 5-6 minutes more, or until meat is firm (but not hard) to the touch.

 

Recipes