1.
Soak the skewers in a tray of water to dampen them and avoid
splinters. Trim fat and any sinew from the beef and cut it in
1-inch/2.5-cm cubes. Peel the onions, leaving a little of the
root, and cut each in 8 wedges. To parboil them: Immerse the
wedges in a pan of cold, salted water, bring them to a boil and
simmer them 5 minutes. Drain and rinse them with cold water.
2.To
assemble the kebabs: Drain the skewers and divide the beef,
onions and tomatoes in 8 even portions. Impale them on the
skewers, separating cubes of beef with onions and tomatoes. Lay
them in a shallow, non-metallic tray.
3. For
the marinade: Mix the garlic, chile pepper, coriander and ginger
in a small bowl and whisk in the soy sauce, rice wine, and oil.
Pour marinade over the kebabs and turn them so they are evenly
coated. Cover and refrigerate them at least 2 and up to 6 hours,
turning them occasionally.
4.
Light the barbecue or broiler. Drain the kebabs and reserve the
marinade in a small bowl for basting. Grill the kebabs about 2
1/2 inches/6 cm from the heat until they start to brown, 1-2
minutes. Turn them, baste with marinade and continue grilling
until evenly browned and cooked rare or medium, depending on
your taste. Turn them often and allow 5 to 7 minutes total
cooking time for rare beef, or 8 to 10 minutes for medium done.
Set the skewers on a bed of rice on a platter or plates for
serving.
Quick Fix
Forget the wait – simply use the marinade as an excellent
basting sauce.
What Wine
To Cook: Although a purist might insist on a rice-based
wine here, the tiny amount needed for the marinade means that no
one will notice if you substitute an equal measure of medium
sherry or even sweet vermouth.
To Drink: When the kebabs come off the grill, a red wine
of sufficient character is needed to match spicey, char-broiled
flavors. Spain provides many zesty reds, many from the mourvèdre,
the country’s second most widely planted grape. Closer to home,
California vintners have also started making mourvèdre, or you
can fall back with confidence on that all-time favorite of the
barbecue set: Californian zinfandel.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne
Willan Cooking With Wine (2001) published by Harry N.
Abrams, Inc. in association with COPIA: American Center for
Wine, Food, and the Arts.
