It’s beginning to warm up out there, and you know what that means… It’s Kabobing season! Shish Kabobs are fun because you can use just about anything you can fit on a stick. This can be meats like chicken, beef or shrimps, and vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, eggplant, squash, radishes, brussel sprouts and broccoli. Cut into cubes, triangles, hearts, what have you, just as long as they are big enough to not fall off the skewer during grilling. Like most things, the secret is in the sauce. Marinated meats are always good for kabobing, but sometimes you really want a good glaze.
Tamarind Kabob Glaze
1/2 cup tamarind pulp with seeds (6 ounces)
1/2 cup boiling water
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Ginger
2 Thai chilies, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Course salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
In a medium heatproof bowl, blend the tamarind pulp with the boiling water to a paste. Pass the paste through a coarse strainer, pressing with a firm rubber spatula to remove the seeds and fibers. Stir in the honey, fish sauce, cumin, ginger, chilies and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Make ahead of time – this recipe will keep for one month in the refrigerator.
Handy Grilling Tips:
If you’re grilling outside, soak skewers in water for a few hours before assembling the kabobs. This will prevent them from catching fire.
Sweet glazes are susceptible to burning! Add the glaze when meats or veggies are just about done. When the sauce begins to sizzle and pop, it’s ready.
Shish Kabobs work just as well in a grill pan inside, minus the charring and grill marks.
