Conference turris::cooks

    Here are some recipies for Shishkebobs.  We bought these in a store
    in Brooklyn and they charged an arm for them.  They are so good,
    we decided to make them ourselves!
            
    
    LONDON BROIL SHISHKEBOBS
    ========================
                    
    London Broil
    White onions cut into pieces 
    Green pepper                
    Cherry Tomatoes
    Good Season Italian Dressing
                                
    
    Spear pieces of green pepper, london broil, white onion and cherry
    tomatoes onto skewer until full.
    
    Marinate with Italian Dressing overnight and cook on gas grill.
    
    
    
    
    
    SWEET AND SOUR SHISHKEBOBS
    ==========================
    
    Chicken Cutlets
    Bacon
    Pineapple Slices
    Sweet and Sour Sauce (Saucy Susan)
    
    
    Cut chicken into nugget-size pieces and wrap in bacon.
    
    Spear pieces of chicken with bacon and pineapple onto skewer until
    full.
    
    Marinate with Sweet and Sour Sauce overnight and cook on gas grill.
    
    
    NOTE:  Do not use wooden skewers!  I had plenty of splinters in
    my fingers and the skewers also burn!
    
    
    Hope you like 'em!
    
    Colleen

    Soak your wooden skewers in water before using them.  It cuts
    down on splinters and they won't burn.
    
    					Donna

    BEV-
    
    ONE GOOD THING TO USE AS A MARINADE IS ANY WORCHESTESHIRE SAUCE.  IF
    YOU LIKE SWEET AND SOUR USE HONEY AND GULDEN'S MUSTARD MIXED TOGETHER.
    USE SOY SAUCE, BROWN SUGAR, AND JUST A LITTLE GARLIC.  THAT IS A
    FAVORITE OF A FRIEND'S.
    
    ENJOY
    

    I would think the best beef to buy for shish-ka-bob is one that is
    marbelized.  By that I mean - nice lean meat with thin strands of fat
    running through it.  I would also marinate it - the purpose being 
    to tenderize it.
    
    In the past I have marinated my beef/lamb in a bowl mixing in a bottle
    of Good Season's Zesty Italian dressing mix.  The herbs and spices are
    just right for our taste....and I use olive oil and red wine vinegar as
    the liquid.  I also toss in a dash of red pepper flakes.
    
    For lamb I use the Good Seasons bottle as a guide for measuring but I
    put in lemon (fresh) juice to the vinegar line - water to the water
    line - then I add about a tablespoon cracked pepper corns - and Spanish
    Oil to the oil line.  I then throw in about 10 (you got it!) cloves of
    crushed garlic.  Marinate lamb overnight (refrigerated).   Wonderful!
    
    You can also marinate the vegetables as well as the meat...parboiling
    the potatoes for about 8 minutes before putting it on the scewer.
    
    Mmm...my mouth is watering!
    
    Marilyn
    

Okay, you want lean meat (minimal flaming) and you want tender meat...
which, unless you are willing to spend alot of money, can be a problem.
Lean meat is, with few exceptions, not tender.  Those exceptions are
expensive exceptions.  My suggestions:

For the flagrantly expensive solution, get a tenderloin roast and
trim all fat, cut into cubes and you have a very expensive, but very
tender kabobs....for a small group or romantic dinner for two, this
is a reasonable solution.  This can be marinaded for additional flavor,
but it isn't necessary.

For the slightly less expensive, but still good (and easier to find
a big enough roast for a larger group), try the eye-of-round roast.
It will be tender, it will be tasty, and it still isn't cheap...but
it won't hurt as bad as tenderloin.  Again, marinade is optional.

IMHO, beef stew, although cheap, is too tough for use.  I would also
beware of "shish kabob" cuts, they tend to be tough.

If you must use less expensive cuts of meat...pick a relatively lean
roast and trim well and cut into chunks.  Marinade in something 
WITH either lemon juice or vinegar and WITHOUT SALT...salt toughens 
the meat.  Also poke the meat thoroughly with a fork or knife to 
penetrate the surface. A marinade that will tenderize meat is:

Mix 1 cup lemon juice (bottled or fresh or defrosted-frozen), 1 or
2 cloves of garlic, and 1 medium onion, cut into pieces in a blender 
or food-processor.  blend completely.  Rub all pieces of meat with this 
marinade and keep in fridge for 1 - 3 hours, turning and mixing the
mixture often.  skewer and broil.  Brush with the marinade while
cooking if you wish.

By the way, I recommend you use separate skewers for vegetables and
meat - with the exception of onion chunks which can cook with the
meat.  If you broil the veggies separately, you won't overcook them
while getting the meat cooked to the desired doneness.

all this talk is making me hungry for kabobs....

    Might I suggest trying the sauce in 1099.6. I use this to marinade
    kabobs all the time.
    
    I make up the sauce...., cut up the beef and veges. Place the beef and
    veges into a container (I use a tupperware marinade thingee) and pour
    the sauce over the top. Cover and "toss" until all is covered in the
    sauce. Place container into refrig for about three hours. It is very
    good.
    
    Try it... you'll be surprized.!!!
    
    Bob G.
    

    In our house, we use different marinades for different meats/fish. 
    
    For pork we use Open Pit original bbq sauce.
    
    For beef we use Wish bone Catalina French dressing.
    
    For shrimp we use Wish bone Italian dressing.
    
    Other combinations we have used on beef include the Catalina dressing,
    good seasons italian (as mentioned before) and a mixture of lo-salt soy
    sauce, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder and chopped onions.
    
    We also poke holes in the meat/fish to let them absorb the marinade and
    we let them marinade for at least 3 hours or so before skewering.  We 
    soak the vegtables with the meat and skewer them all on the same skewers.  
    
    Hope this helps!
    
    Karen

    This is a recipe that I got out of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook and I
    make it all of the time.  Everyone loves it.
    
    First I get a top round loin steak (I think that's what it is called)
    Cut into one inch cubes and marinade in the following for at least two
    hours.
    
    1/4 cup soy sauce
    1/4 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
    2 tablespoons oil
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    1 or 2 cloves crushed garlic (depends on your taste)
    fresh pepper to taste
    
    Marinade for at least two hours turning meat once and awhile.
    
    Start to skewer the meat about 15 min. before grilling and alternate
    the cubes of meat with cubes of pineapple. (If you skewer it ahead of
    time the meat gets mushy)  Cook over medium low heat and baste with
    leftover marinade as it cooks.  Turn when needed.
    
    This recipe is from memory, I'll double check it tonite to make sure
    it's perfect.  It's a quick and simple recipe that everyone has raved
    about.
    
    Hope you try it
    Christine

    
    You could use sirlion tips for the meat, may be a little expensive but
    definitely tender.  Try marnadeing in Italian salad dressing, it
    contains just about all of your basic marinade ingredients; oil,
    vinegar, garlic, pepper, etc.
    
    Bob

    I like lamb shishkebabs  - with chunks of zucchini, sweet peppers,
    onions, mushrooms.  Marinate overnight in a vinaigrette (a spicy
    bottled Italian salad dressing is just fine), and then baste while they
    are grilling.  I just finished eating the leftovers from last night for
    lunch, with some couscous.
    
    Shrimp is good too - we marinate that in pineapple juice with melted
    butter, ginger, soy sauce, and brown sugar, and grill with pineapple
    chunks and chunks of sweet peppers (parboiled since these kebabs don't
    take long to cook).
    
    /Charlotte

    
    I usually use beef tenderloin.  The marinade on the back of a LaChoy
    soy sauce bottle is also very good, it's one of our favorites. Off the
    top of my head it's something like -
    
    1/2 Cup soy sauce
    1/2 cup water
      2 tbsp brown sugar
      2 tbsp vegetable oil
      1 tbsp lemon juice
    1-2 cloves garlic crushed
    1/4 tsp tabasco (or to taste)
    
    Whisk together and marinate meat 1-4 hours, or even overnight.

    Here is a recipe from James Beard's "Barbecue with Beard" that I use a
    lot.  It works well with both beef (especially flank steak) and pork.
    I am sure lamb and poultry would do well with it.
    
    I have adjusted proportions a little from the original.
    
    Javanese Marinade
    -----------------
    
    1 cup soy sauce (I use light to reduce salt)
    1/3 cup oriental (dark) sesame oil
    2/3 cup peanut or other light oil
    1 cup chopped onion
    3 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
    1-1/2 Tablespoons coriander seeds (or 2 teaspoons ground coriander)
    1-1/2 Tablespoons curry powder
    1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
    
    Mix all together to make three cups of marinade.
    
    I use it to marinate beef for 2-3 hours at room temperature or
    overnight in the refrigerator.  

 We usually use sirloin tips (especially for large groups). It is moderately
priced, and is sufficiently tender for my wife (who wears braces).

 Here is a good marinade:

 1/2 can (bottle) beer
 2 TBS soy sauce
 3 cloves garlic
 1 TBS olive oil
 1 tsp fresh ginger
 1 tsp dry mustard
 1 TBS brown sugar
 
 Marinade for several hours or overnight. Place on skewers with mushrooms, 
tomatoes, red-yellow-or-green peppers, and onions.

 The Doctah