First time kabob fail


 
E

Eugene Deel

New member
No pictures... they looked great but that wasn't the issue. I wasn't careful about getting the meat cubes the same size so I had some undercooked pieces. I used wood skewers soaked for about 20 minutes in water and several of them broke as I turned them. I used round wood skewers and sure enough some of the meat pieces were loose on the skewer and did turn over with the skewer. I've never done kabobs before because, frankly, I didn't see the purpose. I normally do a piece of meat and a vegetable basket over indirect heat.

Are kabobs over rated? Should I get the metal and flat Weber skewers and give it another try? Should I just embrace who I truly am and be happy with a big hunk of meat and grilled seasoned veggies?
 
Kabobs are about the visual presentation. You are right that it is easier to cook the meat and veggies separate but the image of the various items on the skewer makes it worth the learning curve and work. It seems that you have a solid idea of what to do different the next time. It is seldom that the first attempt at anything is a total success so don't give up. Make the changes you noted and try again

Mike
 
You can use 2 skewers to stop the rotation ,I have some flat metal that work fine but depending on how tender and the cut of meat you might get some pieces to spin,I always grill meat and veggies separate because they need different amounts of time,its a good looking plate with 2-3 kabobs laying on it with some sauce on the side ,keep trying till you get a method you like
 
I like to occasionally cook up kabobs because you can get nice crust on more sides of the cuts - just watch the heat and any flare ups.

I'll do up a combo of chicken (teriyaki marinade) and beef (steak marinade) on separate skewers from the veggies like Mike suggested above - seems to work better for me.

Serve w/ fresh pan softened pita and hummus.
 
Mike Freel said:
Kabobs are about the visual presentation.
Click to expand...

Like Mike said, kabobs are mainly about presentation. I also think they are a fun change once in a while.

One other good thing is that because of the increased surface area, you get a lot more rub and/or marinade on each piece. A lot of people also like kabobs because they cook very quickly, but I find the increased time in preparation and cutting is a wash with the shorter cooking time.

I use flat metal skewers. The meat and veggies turn with the skewer and there are no problems with burning or breaking.
 
I like the K-bobs but they are alot of work, too much for me, but M'lady likes to do all the prep so i'll cook them when she's in the mood.
Last time I tried by meself I had some cheap k-bob baskets that were given to me for a gift, they worked alright for that one cook, but I tossed them after because they fell apart.
I like the flat metal skewers better, but like MikeCantell suggested two wooden ones work just as well.
I'ts all about the marinade/seasoning because it's such a short cook. A good tip I got from here was to use a couple of pieces of angle iron ( I use uni-strut) on both sides of the grill.
let your skewers span that and you don't hafta worry bout stickin.

Tim
 
I love kabobs especially when someone else does them :) You definitely should use 2 skewers but I find a problem since to get presentation right you mix vegetables with meat but they have different cook times so you burn the veggies to get the meat done. I do kabobs very useful for grilled shrimp.
 
I like to use one of these. More flexibility and you can add or remove things as needed when cooked enough. I'll never go back to skewers again. (People are going to pull the food off the stick before they eat anyway)
 
I do my kabobs differently. I don't want say the tomatoes getting done too soon vs the meat. So, I do the entire skewer with one item. Thus, meat on 5-6 skewers, onions on one skewer, green peppers on one skewer, mushrooms on 2-3 skewers, pineapple on 3-4 skewers, tomatoes on 1 skewer. I can separate things out easier while cooking, getting the meat, onions and peppers over the flames more, but the tomatoes, pineapple and mushrooms a bit more indirect.

When done, each comes off into their own bowl and everyone can grab what they like when building their plate.
 
Eugene. You can use double-pronged or flat skewers. Grub can't rotate then. I love kebabs, quick, easy & tasty.
 
Bry H said:
I do my kabobs differently. I don't want say the tomatoes getting done too soon vs the meat. So, I do the entire skewer with one item. Thus, meat on 5-6 skewers, onions on one skewer, green peppers on one skewer, mushrooms on 2-3 skewers, pineapple on 3-4 skewers, tomatoes on 1 skewer. I can separate things out easier while cooking, getting the meat, onions and peppers over the flames more, but the tomatoes, pineapple and mushrooms a bit more indirect.

When done, each comes off into their own bowl and everyone can grab what they like when building their plate.
Click to expand...

This is my preferred approach as well. You really can't get everything perfectly cooked any other way. Also flat metal skewers are SO much easier than bamboo.
 
Many of us here are members of Cook'sIllustrated.com. They have a good variety of KEBAB RECIPES & METHODS and their recipes are tested and very rarely fail. If you are not a member (there is a fee), they might have a short trial period available.

Definitely 2 wooden skewers or 1 flat one per kebab. I soak mine for an hour if I use the wooden skewers. Do not pack them tightly on the skewers so that they will cook more evenly. They look beautiful stacked on a platter or individually on a dinner plate. Don't fill the skewers any longer than the plates are wide. To help serving be less awkward and in case some guests might struggle a bit, show them how to stand the skewer vertically on their plate and use a fork to slowly push down maybe 2 or 3 inches of the meat and vegetables from the bottom of the skewer onto the plate, then repeat with the next section, etc.

Others might grill all-meat and all-vegetable skewers separately to help with the timing question.
 
Here's one of the older Cook's Illustrated kebab recipes that I use: http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?31685-Kabobs-from-America-s-Test-Kitchen

I substitute chicken breast or sirloin for the lamb called for in the recipe. I use off-the-shelf teriyaki marinade. And I often do them on the Summit gas grill instead of the charcoal kettle.

Here's what they looked like at our July 4 party this year:

20160703_182241_zpslxedpjaa.jpg


I had extra chicken so I also did some chicken-only skewers and some pineapple-only skewers. Brushed all with additional teriyaki glaze toward the end of cooking. Delish.

I'm using old Weber double-pronged skewers in the photo (no longer available).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top