Expert Grilling Tips for Perfect Kabobs

Achieving perfectly cooked, tender, and flavorful kabobs every time is easier than you think with these expert grilling tips:

• Uniform Size for Even Cooking: The key to kabob success is to cut both your beef and vegetables into pieces of a similar size, generally between 3/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch. This ensures that all components cook at roughly the same rate, preventing some ingredients from being overcooked while others are undercooked. Consistency is your friend here!
• Mastering Cook Time & Temperature: When grilling kabobs over direct heat, aim for a consistent grill temperature of approximately 400°F (200°C). Kabobs with 3/4-inch cubes of meat and vegetables typically require about 8 to 10 minutes of total grilling time. Remember to turn the skewers halfway through cooking to get an even char and doneness on all sides. If you notice any skewer cooking faster than the others, simply move it to an area of indirect heat on the grill to finish cooking gently while the others catch up.
• Preventing Sticking is Key: To ensure your delicious skewers don’t stick to the grill grates and lose their precious ingredients, always brush your skewers, or the grill grates themselves, with a little olive oil or use a reliable non-stick cooking spray before placing the kabobs on the grill. This creates a barrier that helps them release easily.
• Invest in a Meat Thermometer: Gauging the doneness of meat on a kabob can be tricky due to the smaller pieces and mixed ingredients. A reliable instant-read meat thermometer is your best tool for accuracy. For medium-rare beef, aim for an internal temperature of 130-135°F (54-57°C). For medium, target 140-145°F (60-63°C). Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of a beef cube, avoiding the skewer.
• Don’t Forget to Rest the Meat: Just like with larger cuts of steak, it’s vital to let your kabobs rest for 5-10 minutes after removing them from the grill. This allows the meat’s juices to redistribute, resulting in more tender and succulent beef.
• Soak Wooden Skewers: If using wooden skewers, always soak them in water for at least 15-30 minutes prior to grilling. This prevents them from burning and splintering on the hot grill. Metal skewers don’t require this step.

• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 lemon, juiced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley {or curly parsley}, chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 1/2 to 2 pounds top sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• ▢ 1 red, orange and yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ▢ 1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ▢ 1 large zucchini, cut into rounds
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil {you will need more for brushing the grill grates}
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 8-10 metal or wooden skewers {soak wooden skewers for 15 minutes before grilling}

• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, minced garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper until thoroughly combined.
• Place the cut sirloin steak cubes in a large zipper-locking plastic bag. Pour half of the prepared marinade over the beef and seal the bag, ensuring the beef is fully coated. Refrigerate for exactly 2 hours. Due to the lemon juice, marinating longer than this can over-tenderize the beef.
• When you are ready to grill, remove the marinated steak from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes to come to room temperature, promoting more even cooking.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, combine your prepared bell peppers, red onion, and zucchini. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, then toss to coat evenly. If using wooden skewers, remember to soak them in water for at least 15 minutes prior to assembly to prevent burning. Metal skewers do not require soaking.
• Carefully thread the beef and vegetables onto your skewers, alternating between pieces of steak, onion, zucchini, and bell peppers to create colorful and balanced kabobs. Discard the leftover marinade from the ziplock bag used for the raw beef.
• Preheat your grill to high, direct heat, aiming for about 400°F (200°C). Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the kabobs on the hot grill and cook for approximately 8 minutes, turning them occasionally to ensure even cooking and a nice char. Grill until the steak reaches an internal temperature of 130-135°F (54-57°C) for medium-rare, or 140°F (60°C) for medium. Use the remaining fresh marinade (the unused half) to brush onto the kabobs as they grill for extra flavor. Once cooked, remove from the grill and let the meat rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley and consider serving with a cooling tahini yogurt dip.

• Sirloin steak benefits greatly from marinating to enhance its flavor profile. The acidity in the lemon juice and red wine vinegar also helps to tenderize the beef. For best results, I recommend marinating for approximately 30-45 minutes, but not exceeding 2 hours, as the prolonged exposure to acid can begin to break down the beef’s texture.
• You can definitely prepare the marinade ahead of time! Feel free to mix all the marinade ingredients up to 3 days in advance and store it sealed in the fridge until ready to use. This makes for quick and easy meal prep on busy days.
• For wooden skewers, soaking is essential. Submerge them in water for at least 30 minutes before assembling your kabobs and grilling. This prevents them from burning on the hot grill and ensures your food cooks evenly without any off-flavors from burnt wood. Alternatively, use metal skewers, which do not require soaking.

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