Charcoal-Grilled Shish Kebab in a Rosemary-Mint Marinade with Garlic and Lemon
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
1½ hours, plus 2 hours marinating
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Marinade
10 fresh mint leaves 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ tablespoon grated lemon zest 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled½ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepperShish Kebab
2 ¼ pounds boneless lamb leg (shank end), trimmed of fat and silver skin and cut into 1-inch pieces3 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange (about 1 ½ pounds), each cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces1 large red onion (about 12 ounces), cut into thirty-six ¾-inch pieces (see illustrations below)lemon or lime wedges for serving (optional)Instructions
- Process all ingredients in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape sides of workbowl with rubber spatula as needed.
- Toss marinade and lamb in gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag or large, nonreactive bowl; seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible, or cover bowl and refrigerate until fully seasoned, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread coals evenly over grill bottom, then spread additional 6 quarts unlit briquettes over lit coals. Position grill rack over coals and heat until very hot, about 15 minutes (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill surface no longer than 2 seconds).
- Meanwhile, starting and ending with meat, thread 4 pieces meat, 3 pieces onion (three 3-layer stacks), and 6 pieces pepper in mixed order on 12 metal skewers.
- Grill kebabs, uncovered, until meat is well browned all over, grill-marked, and cooked to medium-rare, about 7 minutes (or 8 minutes for medium), turning each kebab one-quarter turn every 1 3/4 minutes to brown all sides. Transfer kebabs to serving platter, squeeze lemon or lime wedges over kebabs if desired, and serve immediately.
for the marinade
for the shish kebab
Time
1½ hours, plus 2 hours marinatingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Marinade
10 fresh mint leaves
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Shish Kebab
2 ¼ pounds boneless lamb leg (shank end), trimmed of fat and silver skin and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange (about 1 ½ pounds), each cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion (about 12 ounces), cut into thirty-six ¾-inch pieces (see illustrations below)
lemon or lime wedges for serving (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Marinade
10 fresh mint leaves
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Shish Kebab
2 ¼ pounds boneless lamb leg (shank end), trimmed of fat and silver skin and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange (about 1 ½ pounds), each cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion (about 12 ounces), cut into thirty-six ¾-inch pieces (see illustrations below)
lemon or lime wedges for serving (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Marinade
10 fresh mint leaves
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Shish Kebab
2 ¼ pounds boneless lamb leg (shank end), trimmed of fat and silver skin and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange (about 1 ½ pounds), each cut into twenty-four 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion (about 12 ounces), cut into thirty-six ¾-inch pieces (see illustrations below)
lemon or lime wedges for serving (optional)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To avoid over- or undercooked meat and/or vegetables in our shish kebab recipe, we chose the right cut of lamb (boneless leg) and vegetables that cooked at the same rate as the meat (onions and peppers). Marinating the meat for at least 2 hours gave it great flavor, and grilling over high heat gave it a good crust and a juicy interior.
Instructions
- Process all ingredients in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape sides of workbowl with rubber spatula as needed.
- Toss marinade and lamb in gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag or large, nonreactive bowl; seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible, or cover bowl and refrigerate until fully seasoned, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread coals evenly over grill bottom, then spread additional 6 quarts unlit briquettes over lit coals. Position grill rack over coals and heat until very hot, about 15 minutes (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill surface no longer than 2 seconds).
- Meanwhile, starting and ending with meat, thread 4 pieces meat, 3 pieces onion (three 3-layer stacks), and 6 pieces pepper in mixed order on 12 metal skewers.
- Grill kebabs, uncovered, until meat is well browned all over, grill-marked, and cooked to medium-rare, about 7 minutes (or 8 minutes for medium), turning each kebab one-quarter turn every 1 3/4 minutes to brown all sides. Transfer kebabs to serving platter, squeeze lemon or lime wedges over kebabs if desired, and serve immediately.
for the marinade
for the shish kebab
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