Heat an outdoor grill to high, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. If you’re using metal skewers, they don’t need soaking. Soak 10 12-inch wooden skewers in water to cover for 30 minutes. Add the lamb cubes and toss to coat well. Place the olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, cayenne, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine, or place the ingredients in a food processor and blend to puree. ¼ cup olive oil 1 red onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano or 1 ½ teaspoons dried 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried 1/8 teaspoon (big pinch) cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes Garnish (optional): Fresh oregano sprigs, lemon wedges, chopped fresh parsley To Serve: Tzatziki (store-bought or homemade) This makes for a pretty presentation, especially when served up with a Greek Orzo Salad. The onions should take about 10 minutes on the grill, the squash 7 to 8. Stick the onions on a couple of skewers, the squash on some more skewers, and cook those alongside the meat. Recipe for Greek Lamb Kebabs If you double the marinade, you could also marinate some chunks of red onion, zucchini and summer squash separately. Make sure your grill grates are clean, hot, and brushed with oil before you start grilling.Īnd if outdoor grilling isn’t in the cards, make your kebabs inside on a grill pan or in the broiler. Most kebabs are best cooked over direct medium-high or high heat. If time is a factor, just toss everything with the marinade before grilling. Fish and seafood should only marinate for a few hours, as they might start to turn mushy, especially if there is acid in the marinade. You can marinate proteins like chicken and meat, as well as vegetables, for up to one day before kebabbing them. Often, kebab recipes include a marinade to deepen the flavor and keep the foods tender as they cook. Turn your skewers frequently when cooking so that all sides get nice grill marks. However, pressing the foods up against each other will ensure more juiciness in your meats. How tightly should you pack your skewers? Separating the items a bit allows them to cook faster and get more caramelization on more sides. Most meat should be cut into pieces about 1 ½-inches large keep in mind the meat will shrink a bit as it cooks. Smaller items will cook faster and have more browned surface area. Keeping things separate means you can tailor the cooking time to the specific type of food on the skewer.Īs for the size of your skewered foods, larger items will take longer to cook, but in general stay more tender inside. So choose items that will be cooked to your liking at roughly the same time. However, different types of vegetables cook at different rates, and definitely at different rates than various meats and seafood. The biggest advantage of this is visual appeal. Some cooks like to alternate meat and vegetables on the same skewers. Same with shrimp – choose shrimp that are jumbo (16/20 per pound) or larger. Larger sea scallops allow for a bit of browning while the inside remains creamy and tender. For instance, bay scallops are too small to easily skewer, and will cook so quickly they won’t take on much flavor from the grill. For lamb, look for shoulder or leg meat, and for chicken you can use either dark or white meat, with white needing a slightly shorter cooking time.įor seafood, make sure the pieces are big enough to get a bit of color on the outside without overcooking throughout. For pork, use cubed, thick pork chops or tenderloin meat, not shoulder, butt or any of the longer-cooking, tougher cuts. If you’re using beef, filet or tenderloin offer the most tender kebabs. Don’t grab a package of stewing meat, such as chuck or brisket, because those need long, slow cooking to reach tenderness. Either way, look for skewers that have slightly flat prongs (the stick or blade part), which makes it easier to turn them without the food spinning on the stick.įor meat, choose a cut that is tender and takes well to a fast sear.
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