Charcoal-Grilled Beef Kebabs with Cumin-Paprika Marinade
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 24, 2011
Time
1½ hours, plus 1½ hours marinating
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Marinade
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (1 ¾ cups)6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons sweet paprika ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 20 cilantro sprigs⅓ cup beef broth (see note)⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking grate3 tablespoons tomato paste 2 teaspoons table salt 1 ½ teaspoons sugar ¾ teaspoon ground black pepperBeef and Vegetables
2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks (see note)1 large zucchini or summer squash (about ½ pound), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices1 large red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces1 large red or sweet onion, ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into 4 wedges and each wedge cut crosswise into thirdsBefore You Begin
To ensure evenly sized chunks, we prefer to purchase whole steak tips (sometimes labeled “flap meat”) and cut them ourselves. However, if you have long, thin pieces of meat, roll or fold them into approximate 2-inch cubes before skewering. Two and one-half pounds of blade steak can be substituted for the flap meat; if using, cut the steak in half and remove the gristle that runs through it. You will need four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. Our preferred brand of beef broth is Rachael Ray Stock-in-a-Box All-Natural Beef Flavored Stock.
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer ¾ cup marinade to large bowl and set aside.
- Toss remaining marinade and beef in second large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 hours, tossing beef after 30 -minutes. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and toss with reserved marinade. Cover and let vegetables marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
- Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Tightly thread beef onto two 12-inch metal skewers, rolling or folding meat as necessary to maintain 2-inch cubes. Thread vegetables onto two 12-inch metal skewers, in alternating pattern of zucchini, pepper, and onion.
- About 30 minutes before grilling, light large chimney starter mounded over rim with charcoal (7 quarts, about 120 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with ash, about 25 minutes. Build single-level fire by arranging all coals in center of grill in even layer, leaving 2-inch gap between grill wall and charcoal. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 2 seconds).
- Place meat skewers in center of grill directly over coals and vegetable skewers near edge of coals but still over fire. Grill beef skewers until well browned, slightly charred, and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 12 to 16 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer beef skewers to serving platter, loosely tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Continue to grill vegetable skewers until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes longer (17 to 21 minutes total), turning every 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to platter with beef. Remove beef and vegetables from skewers and serve.
for the marinade
for the beef and vegetables
Time
1½ hours, plus 1½ hours marinatingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Marinade
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (1 ¾ cups)
6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 cilantro sprigs
⅓ cup beef broth (see note)
⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking grate
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons table salt
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beef and Vegetables
2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks (see note)
1 large zucchini or summer squash (about ½ pound), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
1 large red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 large red or sweet onion, ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into 4 wedges and each wedge cut crosswise into thirds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Marinade
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (1 ¾ cups)
6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 cilantro sprigs
⅓ cup beef broth (see note)
⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking grate
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons table salt
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beef and Vegetables
2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks (see note)
1 large zucchini or summer squash (about ½ pound), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
1 large red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 large red or sweet onion, ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into 4 wedges and each wedge cut crosswise into thirds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Marinade
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (1 ¾ cups)
6 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
20 cilantro sprigs
⅓ cup beef broth (see note)
⅓ cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking grate
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons table salt
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
Beef and Vegetables
2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch chunks (see note)
1 large zucchini or summer squash (about ½ pound), ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
1 large red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 large red or sweet onion, ends trimmed, peeled, halved lengthwise, core discarded, each half cut into 4 wedges and each wedge cut crosswise into thirds
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Well-marbled steak tips, with their beefy flavor and tender texture, proved to be the best choice for our charcoal-grilled beef kebabs. To the beef’s marinade, we added salt for moisture, oil for flavor, and sugar for browning. For even more depth, we used tomato paste, a host of seasonings and herbs, and beef broth. We chose three grill favorites for the vegetables: peppers, onions, and zucchini. Grilling the beef kebabs and vegetables separately over a two-level fire allowed us to cook the vegetables over a lower temperature while the beef seared over the hotter area.
Before You Begin
To ensure evenly sized chunks, we prefer to purchase whole steak tips (sometimes labeled “flap meat”) and cut them ourselves. However, if you have long, thin pieces of meat, roll or fold them into approximate 2-inch cubes before skewering. Two and one-half pounds of blade steak can be substituted for the flap meat; if using, cut the steak in half and remove the gristle that runs through it. You will need four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. Our preferred brand of beef broth is Rachael Ray Stock-in-a-Box All-Natural Beef Flavored Stock.
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Transfer ¾ cup marinade to large bowl and set aside.
- Toss remaining marinade and beef in second large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 2 hours, tossing beef after 30 -minutes. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and toss with reserved marinade. Cover and let vegetables marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
- Remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Tightly thread beef onto two 12-inch metal skewers, rolling or folding meat as necessary to maintain 2-inch cubes. Thread vegetables onto two 12-inch metal skewers, in alternating pattern of zucchini, pepper, and onion.
- About 30 minutes before grilling, light large chimney starter mounded over rim with charcoal (7 quarts, about 120 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with ash, about 25 minutes. Build single-level fire by arranging all coals in center of grill in even layer, leaving 2-inch gap between grill wall and charcoal. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 2 seconds).
- Place meat skewers in center of grill directly over coals and vegetable skewers near edge of coals but still over fire. Grill beef skewers until well browned, slightly charred, and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare, 12 to 16 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer beef skewers to serving platter, loosely tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Continue to grill vegetable skewers until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 5 minutes longer (17 to 21 minutes total), turning every 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to platter with beef. Remove beef and vegetables from skewers and serve.
for the marinade
for the beef and vegetables
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
More Like This
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments