Just about everybody we tend to hang out with loves to eat some version of ‘meat on a stick’ – whether it’s our friend and mentor Ed’s sweet fire chicken skewers, chicken satay, yakitori, grilled shrimp with chipotle glaze or just about any manner of kebab or skewer you might bring to mind.
Ed happens to be an ageless, incredibly fit, at times wryly cranky friend, mentor, and occasional business partner who loves good great, healthy food, and often pesters us to cook it for him, particularly when he’s entertaining guests and friends.
Inspired by the Ed’s Sweet Fire Chicken Skewers mentioned above, a few years ago we played around with several recipes we’d come across for a Thai-inspired spin on a beef kabob for another one of Ed’s parties.
After several near misses we finally arrived on this version, since remembered as Ed’s Thai Steak on a Stick, originally made with several thick-cut rib eyes, though (and it should be noted upon Ed’s suggestion) the added tooth and deep, beefy flavor of tri-tip makes for a great kabob / beef skewer as well.
It needs the overnight marinade time and all the Thai flavors (lime, garlic, lemongrass, chiles, ginger, and basil); dig around at your grocery and you’ll find it all. And be sure to leave some of the fat cap to render on the grill and baste that glorious meat as it cooks. The recipe from years ago included a bit of brown sugar in the marinade; as our family’s tastes have become more ancestrally aligned, we leave it out.
Ed guarantees you’ll come back to this one again…
2 cups full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
10 garlic cloves
8 thai chiles (red or green, stemmed)
4 lemongrass stalks, bottoms thirds only, outer layers peeled
3 to 4 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
6-8 basil leaves
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed (optional)4 lb. trip-tip or ribeye (or a combination), cut in 1-inch cubes
First combine all ingredients (except the meat of course) in your trusty food processor or blender and puree. Pour over the trimmed meat (leave some of the fat cap on the meat), massage it in with your hands to make sure all the meat is coated; cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, drain the meat, thread loosely onto skewers (packing too tightly slows the cook); then fire the grill.
Now grill over a medium-hot fire until nicely marked and cooked to your desired level; I like to quarter-turn these every 2-3 minutes to make sure every side of the meat develops a nice sear and crust. You’re probably looking at a 12-16 minute total cook here, pending how large your meat dice is and how hot your fire.
Pull the meat, let it rest at least 3-4 minutes then serve hot with your favorite Thai-inspired dipping sauces on the side.
Enjoy.
