The Best Shish Kebabs Recipes

MOM'S BEEF SHISH KABOBS

Steps:

• Whisk the vegetable oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl; pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the beef, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
• Add the mushrooms to the bag, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and reseal the bag; marinate in the refrigerator another 8 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove the beef and mushrooms from the marinade, shaking off any excess liquid. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes; set aside for basting.
• Thread pieces of green bell pepper, beef, red bell pepper, mushroom, and onion onto metal skewers, repeating until all ingredients are skewered.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning frequently and brushing generously with the reserved marinade until nicely browned on all sides and the meat is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.

TRADITIONAL SHISH KEBABS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a small plastic or glass bowl, combine the marinade ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, cumin , grated ginger, and black pepper).
• In a resealable container (a large zip-top bag works best), place the lamb pieces with the marinade. Massage them to mix and seal bag. Refrigerate the meat in the marinade for 2 to 24 hours.
• Preheat the grill to high heat. Thread lamb, onion, and pepper pieces onto skewers-intermixing the pieces or making skewers of just meat and just vegetables (see Recipe Tip below).
• Place the kebabs on the hot grill and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, uncovered. Starting at the 2-minute mark, turn the skewers to cook another side of the cubes. Do this every 2 minutes until all four sides of the cubes have been grilled. Cook longer if lamb chunks are larger than 1-inch.
• Once cooked to your desired doneness, remove the kebabs from the grill.
• Serve on or off of the skewers, with lemon and lime slices.

SHISH KEBAB

Steps:

• Skewer the lamb cubes on the skewers. Stir together the yogurt, olive oil and onion juice in a glass or ceramic pan or bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the lamb skewers, coat with the marinade and refrigerate, covered, for 4 hours. Prepare a charcoal fire and let it die down a bit or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on low. Set the skewers on a skewer holder over the fire and grill until golden brown and succulent, turning often, about 20 minutes. Or, lacking a skewer holder, place them on the grill and grill to perfection. Serve with or on a piece grill-warmed pita bread and the cacik on the side.
• Toss grated cucumber with a light sprinkling of salt. Leave for 30 minutes. Drain the cucumber, squeezing out all the liquid. Pound the garlic in a mortar with 1 teaspoon salt until completely mashed. Stir the garlic into the yogurt and beat with a fork until smooth. Stir in the cucumber, the dill, mint and olive oil and stir until the consistency of a thick soup. Refrigerate for an hour and serve cold.
• Recipe courtesy Clifford Wright