Balsamic Steak Kabobs

This week we're going to do a simple and underrated meal; kabobs.  Kabobs can be almost anything that you want them to be.  Place a bunch of meat and veggies on a stick and throw it over an open flame.  Few minutes later, voila, dinner.  But you know, there are a few things you can do to make your kabobing easier and simpler.

First, use good skewers.  You want to make sure that your spearing equipment will hold up and not leave parts of itself in your food.   I've had splinters of wood stab the top of my mouth before... not the best of days.  So if you're going to use wood or bamboo, make sure you you higher quality skewers.  And if you use wood or bamboo, make sure you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before you use them.  Why?  Well, they'll soak up the water so they have less of a tendency to burn up.  Soaking preseves the ends of the skewers so you'll have something to grab.  And after soaking the skewers, you may be able to see any splinters sticking out of the side and you can remove them.  Personally, I've moved onto metal skewers if I'm cooking on the grill, just because they're stronger, they take the heat and they can be used over and over again.  Just keep them out of reach for little kids or they'll become lightsabers that can really take out an eye.

Second, don't limit yourself.  You can shish kabob almost any meat.  Steak, chicken, pork, turkey, shrimp, scallops, sausage, even ground meats.  As long as it will stay on the stick, it'll be great. And try something a little out of the ordinary on the veggies.  Sure, bell peppers, onions and little tomatoes are customary, but I'll throw some zucchini and squash in there for the look and the taste.  Mushrooms are great on the grill, and if you're marinading, the mushrooms will soak up the sauce and taste wonderful.  I've even seen some people make a sweet kabob with some fruit.  Pineapple is awesome when it heats up, because the outside will carmelize.  Apples can take the heat and will stay on the skewers.  And even melons can be used, but they can be a little touchy laying on the grates.

And I have one other secret weapon when it comes to doing the kabobs.  I have a kabob rack that I can slap on the grill.  It's a rectangular piece of metal that has a few slits cut into it.  It does a few things.  First, it keeps the food stationary.  Sometimes if something pops in the meat, it can roll over and you wont get an even grill.  This invention keeps it in the place you want.  Second, it keeps it off the grill.  This helps if you want to experiment with a few softer or more burnable items from scorching against the grill plates.  Third, it makes it extremely easy to turn the kabob, especially if you're using metal skewers.  Just grab the tip of the kabob with a pair of tongs and twist, it's that easy.  I got the rack as a wedding present, so I don't know the exact price of it, but it's a pretty nice little gadget.

Finally, uniformity is key.  Make sure all of your meats are approximately the same size so they'll cook at the same rate.  The veggie pieces should be as close to the same size as you can do.  Because no two peppers are the same, there's no way your little chunks will be the same, just get them as close as you can get.

This recipe is something I threw together because I love the sweet and acidic taste of Balsamic vinegar.  Yes, the mixture is almost like an italian dressing, but most good marinades can double as a salad dressing.  They all have the a fat component, an acid of some type, like vinegar, lemon juice, etc, and then herbs and spices to add lots of flavor.  So please feel free to tweak and change this up any way you want.

Balsamic Steak Kabobs
Serves 4

Marinade
2 cloves of garlic, either minced or pulverized
1/4 cup balsamic vingar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano

Kabobs
1 1/2 lbs steak, cut into cubes
3 bell peppers, in a variety of colors if you'd like
1 large onion
1 zucchini
4 oz. whole mushrooms
A few grape tomatoes

Combine the garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, and oregano in a large ziploc bag and mix well.  Cut the meat into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares.  Add the cubes of steak to the marinade and either roll or shake until the steak has been coated.  Place the ziploc bag into another ziploc and place in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours.  If using wood or bamboo skewers, soak them in water (lay them in the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan filled with about an inch of water) for about 30 minutes.  When ready to prepare, clean and prepare all vegetables.  Cut the peppers and onions into quarters, then slice each piece so they are roughly an inch and a half long.  Slice the zucchini into small medallions about 1/4 inch thick.  Remove the meat from the fridge and assemble the skewers.  Start with a piece of meat and then alternamte, with one or two pieces of vegetable, then a piece of meat, then a piece of vegetable, etc. until only an inch or so fo the skewer is visible.  And make sure to end with a piece of meat as well, to keep other items from falling off.

Cook over a medium-high barbecue until the meat has sufficiently cooked.  Remove from heat and serve on or off skewers.  Pair with a salad or some rice dish.