American shish kebab
Iran and Turkey
Shish is a Turkish word used to refer to meat forced onto a skewer (either made of soaked wood or metal) and grilled – shish literally means skewer in Turkey. The origin of the word Kebab is Persian (modern-day Iran) and refers to a type of meat dish, usually lamb.
There are thousands of different ways to marinate and grill meat, but my favorite is one my mother cooked when we were younger. I rediscovered the recipe recently in her hand-me-down cookbook. The tangy taste is quite unusual, but traditionally American. I honestly have no idea where the recipe originally came from, but we have been cooking shish kebab prepared this way since the 1950s. As you might have guessed, I have made some minor changes to the original recipe.
Ingredients (serves 6):
- 2 pounds – top sirloin cut into about one-inch cubes
- 2 pounds – skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into about one-inch cubes
- 1 ½ pounds – bacon strips cut into one-inch lengths
- ½ cup – A1 steak sauce
- ½ cup – apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup – extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons – salt
- 1 teaspoon – pepper
- 2 – small onions cut into thin slices (round slices)
- 1 pound – button mushrooms
- 2 – green peppers cut into one-inch squares (can use red and yellow peppers also)
- 10 – small onions cut into ring slices (to place on the skewer)
- 2 pints – cherry tomatoes
Preparation:
Place the beef, chicken, and bacon in a large bowl and mix with the A1 sauce, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and onion. Marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Once the meat is ready, alternate the meat with the vegetables on skewers (see photo below).
Placing meat and vegetables on skewers.
Place on the grill over low to medium heat for about 30 minutes turning periodically being careful not to burn. Baste frequently with any sauce left over from the marinating (you can make additional sauce if needed).
Shish kebabs on the grill
I will typically take the shish kebab off the grill and place in the oven at 350 degree F for about 30 minutes to assure the meat and vegetables get completely cooked and not burned on the grill.
The grilled kebabs in the oven.
Voila.
Bon appétit!
J. Botticelli