Spiedini Recipes

CALABRIAN SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Season the pork well with a good amount of black pepper and grey salt. Mince the garlic and then, sprinkle with salt to help the mashing process. Using the side of a knife, mash it into a paste (this process is helped along if you sprinkle the garlic with a little salt to help break it up). The mashed garlic flavor will spread throughout the sausage more easily than minced garlic. Add the garlic to the sausage, then add the California chili powder (this is a sweet chili that will give the sausage a strong red color). Add the chili flakes, beer, and fennel seeds and mix well. Cover sausage in a bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Chef's note: if you'd like to test pork sausage for seasoning, fry a little in a small pan with some olive oil before tasting. Remember, you can always add more seasoning, but you can never take it away!
• To form spiedini:
• Preheat a grill.
• Just before your cookout, soak 12-inch wooden skewers in water for 1 hour so they won't catch on fire when you place them on the grill. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Form the sausage into baseball sized meatballs and place on the cookie sheet. To form the spiedini, flatten the balls into patties, place 2 skewers in the middle of a sausage patty, then wrap the patty firmly around the skewer. Wrap the spiedini in foil that you will use to bring them to the grill.
• To Grill spiedini:
• Place spiedini on the cooler part of the coals or on a medium grill. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill for about 10 minutes on each side, until well cooked.

LAMB AND ROSEMARY SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
• Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary and grated lemon peel in glass pie dish to blend. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; add lamb to marinade and toss to coat. Let mixture stand 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl. Add onion, green bell pepper and yellow bell pepper to marinade in pie dish and toss to coat. Thread lamb, onion, and bell pepper pieces alternately on 4 skewers. Grill until onion and peppers are slightly charred and lamb is cooked to desired doneness, brushing once with marinade, about 12 minutes to medium. Transfer lamb spiedini to plates and serve.

SPIEDINI ALLA ROMANA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1/2 cup olive oil and enough vegetable oil to reach one inch in depth to 375 degrees. Place a piece of bread on work surface. Top with 2 slices mozzarella. Cover with a second slice of bread. Repeat with remaining bread and cheese to make a multi-layered sandwich. Cut sandwich into four equal quarters, and place a 10-inch skewer through the center of each quarter. With a serrated knife, gently remove the crusts and discard.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into a shallow baking dish. Dredge sandwiches in flour, and shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture turning to coat on all sides. Transfer to hot oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides. Drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm.
• In a medium skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook until golden. Add anchovies, and cook stirring until they almost disintegrate. Stir in white wine, lemon juice, and capers. Bring to a vigorous boil, and continue to boil until reduced by half.
• Stir parsley into reduced sauce. Remove skewers from sandwiches, and serve with sauce spooned lightly over sandwiches. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

BEEF SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Thinly slice steak widthwise into 5-in. strips. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the marinade ingredients. Add beef; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally., Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Transfer half of the mixture to a shallow bowl; set aside. For filling, add marinara sauce to the remaining crumb mixture and mix well. Spread 1 teaspoon filling over each beef strip and roll up into pinwheels. Coat with reserved crumb mixture., Cut onion into 1-in. pieces and separate into layers. Thread a piece of onion, a sage leaf and a beef pinwheel onto a soaked wooden appetizer skewer; repeat. Drizzle lightly with oil and place on a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan., Broil 3-4 in. from heat for 5-7 minutes or until beef reaches desired doneness, turning once.