How can I make kabobs ahead of time...need complete instructions?

Question

Want to make kabobs for 20 people and want to be able to put them together in advance. Will be using wood skewers. Would appreciation COMPLETE instructions.

Answer 1

Step 1 is to soak the skewers for at least an hour before you put the meat and veggies on. The reason being that the skewer will burn if it's not soaked to the core.

Then you need to assemble your ingredients. Your meat could be lamb, beef, chicken, buffalo or something similar. Pork is only good if you make it into meatballs that are par-cooked. Otherwise the pork will either over-cook and get really dry and chewy or it can't be guaranteed to cook all the way through which is yuck. Jennie-O Turkey meatballs BTW are extremely good for kebabs.

Your veggie selection can be simple, like peppers and onions (vidalia or sweet yellow being the best) or you could get more creative and use things like zucchini, Roma tomatoes, squash cubes, par-boiled potatoes brushed with an herb-olive oil marinade, various mushrooms, etc.

The biggest thing to take into consideration is how much a food shrinks as it's cooked. A mushroom loses almost half of its size. So if you are using them, you need to use those that are twice the size you want them to be when they're done. Beef loses about 20-30% of its size, so your cube pieces should be about 1-1/2 inches square. Chicken cooks down about 40%, so cut your pieces down to about 2 inches square. Lamb is best cooked medium rare, so a 1-2" cube is just perfect.

It's also important when you string them that you consider how soft things get when they cook. You wouldn't want a tomato, for example, at the beginning or end because it can fall apart and make a mess. I usually start and end with meat or potatoes.

A good marinade for kebabs is an olive oil vinaigrette (I use Paul Newman's a lot). But you could make a great one with a cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of lemon or lime juice, the zest of a couple of lemons or limes, and 2-3 Tbsp of your favorite steak seasoning (especially if it has a lot of pepper in it). Make up your kebabs, put them in plastic bags or layer in a cake pan and pour the marinade over them. If you make them up the day before, it will be perfect. If you need additional marinade, just keep your proportions of 2:1 oil to acid.

As for cooking them, I just use a barbecue and cook them over nice hot coals for about 2 mins on each side. Maybe a little more time if there's chicken. Also, if you do chicken it helps to sprinkle them with paprika before you cook them so that you get a great color.

Hope it helps...

Answer 2

You can buy packages of precut stew meat at your grocer's butcher section. Also buy: Mushrooms, canned pineapple chunks, onions, green/red/yellow peppers. First marinade your meat - I use 1 TBSP. Oil, 1/4 C. Soy sauce and a seasoning like Cavendars (or whatever canned powdered meat seasoning you choose. Or salt and pepper works.) Let meat marinade in ziploc in fridge. Cut up veggies in bite sized (or a little larger than bite sized) chunks. Then you put everything on the skewers, alternating meat and vegetables and pineapple chunks. You can put the kebabs on a plate or cookie sheet (wax paper under it) and cover it, put it in fridge until you're ready to grill.

I've never made these in the oven, only over the grill. If you cook in the oven, you probably broil it - just cook until meat is done to your preference.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Decide what kind of meat you want. While dicing up your meat of choice, soak your skewers in water. Dice your meat approximately the same size for even cooking.
Just make them with meat. On the day you are serving them, or they day before, make skewers of vegetables. Meat takes longer to cook and most vegetables get cooked too much.
Take your diced meat and marinate it in your choice of marinate. An easy one is lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper and olive oil. Don't forget the oil so they won't stick on the BBQ.
You can make your skewers and marniate them up to a week before your party. Make enough so that all your guests get at least one and half each.
With your vegetables skewers, soak your wooden skewers in water, while chopping your veg. Cut up in about the same size your choice of vegetables, peppers, onions mushrooms, etc..
Brush with oil or your choice of marniate.
Good luck!

Answer 4

What kind of meat are you using? Also what kinds of veggies do you like? Are you grilling these or broiling or what?