Tex-Mex Beef Kabobs

Cookbook Category: Beef

When making skewered beef kabobs, try to use a tender cut of meat that you would use for a steak, like beef tenderloin or ribeye. The reason for this is that you are going to cook the kabobs quickly over high heat. The meat will be a nice medium, and your vegetables will be roasted tender-crisp. A cut of meat with more connecting tissue or a better exercised muscle will not be tender when cooked like this. Cuts such as chuck or brisket are best served after a long, slow cooking.

From David Bulla's article on beef steak.

1 lb. Beef Tenderloin or Ribeye, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 Sweet Yellow Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
12 cherry tomatoes
2 Fresh Jalapeno Peppers
8 limes
1 orange
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 large wooden skewers soaked in water overnight.

Prepare the veggies. Cut the onion into quarters and then cut the quarters in half. Cut the bell pepper into pieces slightly larger than the beef. Cut the jalapeno peppers in quarters, remove the pith and seeds (you may want to use gloves for this -- the heat doesn't wash off your hands easily), then cut each quarter in half length-wise. Leave the cherry tomatoes whole. Place all the veggies into a bowl with the prepared beef.

Roll the limes and orange on the counter with the palm of your hand, and apply pressure to start breaking down the fibers. Cut in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the veggies and beef. (Don't worry too much about the seeds.) Don't throw away the limes; they are used as "caps" on the ends of your skewer. Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper, Tabasco sauce and the olive oil. Toss lightly to evenly coat. Let marinate for 1 hour.

Skewer the beef and the veggies alternately with the soaked skewers, using the limes on each end of the skewer. You can cook on a grill, or you can broil in a preheated 450F degree oven until the veggies are slightly brown, but still crisp. Check the beef to make sure it's done to your taste; it should be medium by the time the vegetables are starting to cook. If you like your beef well done, the veggies won't mind if they cook a little longer. Serve with beans and rice and a pile of warm tortillas. Serves four.