Tips on cooking kabobs on grill pan?

[rush]

So I'm gonna try to cook some kabobs on a grill pan. I guess I'll go with beef, first.

I've read that the meat should be the same size as the veggies/fruits?

But I also learned from someone else that beef shrinks when cooked... so should I make the pieces of beef a little bigger than the veggies, as the beef will eventually shrink to the size of the veggies?

Also, I've read from some recipes to go for 1/2 inch and 1 inch. Are there any advantages to going smaller, other than that it'll cook faster?

Again, I'm gonna cook it on a grill pan, and I wanna make sure the meat cooks all the way through. Is it even worth poking the meat with a thermometer for 150? Or do I just grill each side for 3-5 mins and feast?

Thanks!

 

[Linux]

I lived in Greece, so know about “kebobs”, better known there as “Souvlaki”.

I suggest 1½-inch pieces, and similar-sized veg or, about 1 inch size would be fine.

If using wooden or bamboo skewers soak at least 30 minutes in advance.

Skewer a piece of onion, a piece of chicken/lamb/beef, then a mint leaf. Continue repeating this pattern until the skewer is nearly full. Do not push pieces together. They should be a little loose on the skewer.

Grill over medium high heat (or medium high coals) turning occasionally and brushing with olive oil/lemon mixture until the meat is cooked through and juices run clear.

As for using a cooking thermometer when making souvlaki. I just know when the meat's done.

 

[CharlieD]

What is the "grill pan"? Is it like a frying pan with ribs?

 

[Linux]

What is the "grill pan"? Is it like a frying pan with ribs?

Probably, although when I mass-cook, instead of a grill pan (far too small for my family) I'll use a 24" carbon steel paella pan on my Lacanche. It cooks everything up a treat, and with less fat, healthier, too, because I use an oil sprayer (containing olive oil).

 

[Kayelle]

Good for you Rush.....glad to see you're moving on from the daily grilled chicken with that pan of yours! I wondered how long it would take for you to get sick of cooking one thing. I won't worry so much about you now, as beef cubes even if cooked rare won't hurt you. You're on your way now!

 

[Andy M.]

Just as a side note. While kebabs are cool, cooking the same cubes of meat and veggies in the grill pan without skewers could yield the same result and be easier to manage.

 

[Kayelle]

Great idea, Andy.

 

[rush]

What is the "grill pan"? Is it like a frying pan with ribs?

Yeah...

Amazon.com: Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron 10 1/4 Inch Square Skillet Grills: Home & Garden

 

[rush]

Just as a side note. While kebabs are cool, cooking the same cubes of meat and veggies in the grill pan without skewers could yield the same result and be easier to manage.

Thanks for the suggestion.

The meat won't lay flat, though, because it's small. Instead, it'll slip between the ridges and so forth. Also, kind of a pain to flip every single cube, as opposed to just rotating a few skewers.

 

[rush]

Good for you Rush.....glad to see you're moving on from the daily grilled chicken with that pan of yours! I wondered how long it would take for you to get sick of cooking one thing. I won't worry so much about you now, as beef cubes even if cooked rare won't hurt you. You're on your way now!

Thanks Kayelle!

I just tried it out for the first time today, and it turned out okay. The marinade I used called for 1/2 teaspoon salt for 1 1/2 pound of top sirloin. Being the newb, I thought, this is not enough, and I put in about three times that amount.

The meat tasted extremely salty. Wow, I didn't know 1/2 a teaspoon of salt can make 1 1/2 pound of meat taste so salty. If I just cracked that much salt over the meat while it was grilling, I don't think it would've tasted that salty.

Another problem I came across, was that the meat did not fully cook through. The center of the meat was pretty red, and there was some blood, while the outside was "well done." I cooked each side (4 sides) for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

That said, I didn't exactly cut the meat to 1 inch size. They were mostly 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches. I forgot that an inch is actually quite small, but it was too late by the time I figured it out. It would've probably still cooked through had it been a real grill and I closed the lid, but I guess this is the limitation of the grill pan, and I just have to make adjustments in the future (1 inch cubes).

 

[rush]

I lived in Greece, so know about “kebobs”, better known there as “Souvlaki”.

I suggest 1½-inch pieces, and similar-sized veg or, about 1 inch size would be fine.

If using wooden or bamboo skewers soak at least 30 minutes in advance.

Skewer a piece of onion, a piece of chicken/lamb/beef, then a mint leaf. Continue repeating this pattern until the skewer is nearly full. Do not push pieces together. They should be a little loose on the skewer.

Grill over medium high heat (or medium high coals) turning occasionally and brushing with olive oil/lemon mixture until the meat is cooked through and juices run clear.

As for using a cooking thermometer when making souvlaki. I just know when the meat's done.

Thanks!

I'm not using a traditional grill with fire, so don't think the whole soaking of the skewers, applies to me. It won't catch on fire...

Still, I soaked bamboo skewers for around an hour, but it dried up really quickly while I was inserting the meat, red bell pepper, mushroom, onion, etc... so I don't know what the point is, for soaking it. It becomes bone dry in two minutes.

Interesting recipe. Do you marinate the meat at all? And do you eat the mint, once the skewers are done? Or is it just to marinate the meat and make it taste minty?

 

[Linux]

Thanks!

I'm not using a traditional grill with fire, so don't think the whole soaking of the skewers, applies to me. It won't catch on fire...

Still, I soaked bamboo skewers for around an hour, but it dried up really quickly while I was inserting the meat, red bell pepper, mushroom, onion, etc... so I don't know what the point is, for soaking it. It becomes bone dry in two minutes.

Interesting recipe. Do you marinate the meat at all? And do you eat the mint, once the skewers are done? Or is it just to marinate the meat and make it taste minty?

The reason why wooden skewers should first be soaked in water is to prevent them from incinerating on the grill, flamed either beneath a commercial salamander like ours, or above charcoal: the effect remains the same. I'm unsure what wood is used in our skewers, but they hold good.

Generally we marinate our meat. It's to max out the flavours of grilling, like traditional Greek souvlaki. Mint is usually not eaten, unless like fresh oregano is sprinkled over the cooked meat. Souvlaki doesn't get much better than this.

​

 

[rush]

The reason why wooden skewers should first be soaked in water is to prevent them from incinerating on the grill, flamed either beneath a commercial salamander like ours, or above charcoal: the effect remains the same. I'm unsure what wood is used in our skewers, but they hold good.

Generally we marinate our meat. It's to max out the flavours of grilling, like traditional Greek souvlaki. Mint is usually not eaten, unless like fresh oregano is sprinkled over the cooked meat. Souvlaki doesn't get much better than this.

That certainly looks delicious. What do you use for the marinade?

 

[CharlieD]

Looks good!