Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Thai Beef Kabobs with Basil Rice

We made this one up last weekend when we had to stretch three fillets to feed four people. The flavor profile helps the beef tenderloin, which is amazingly tender but is generally regarded as lacking in the flavor department.

Thai Beef Kabobs
Ingredients
1 lb beef tenderloin, cubed in 1" pieces
2 T oyster sauce
2 T fish sauce
2 T lime juice
1 T fresh basil, chopped
1 t sesame oil
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t ginger, fresh grated
1 ea bell pepper, cut in 1" pieces
1 ea yellow onion, cut in 1" pieces

Instructions
Marinade the beef, pepper, and onion in the remaining ingredients for 2-3 hours. Alternate pieces of the veggies and beef on skewers.

Place the kabobs on a 500f grill for one minute a side, four minutes total. Use oven mitts and tongs to rotate them because this is one hot fire.

TIP: The standard recommendation for bamboo skewers is to soak them prior to use to prevent burning them. Given the heat of the grill for this dish, I like to also wrap the exposed handles with foil.

You might get some charring of the onion and pepper but don't worry, that works here.

Serve with a simple basil rice. I took 2 cups of cold sweet jasamine rice and stir fried it in a wok. I added in 10 basil leaves, stemmed and halved and tossed for a minute longer, to wilt the basil.

FAIL: I tried to make an Asian brown sauce to go with it. I tried using the brown sauce that we liked so much in Stir Fried Broccoli with Oyster Sauce, but it came out WAY too salty since the broth reduced without the benefit of the veggies. I didn't serve it. Anyone have a technique or recipe for a good Asian brown sauce? I need to look more into that.

But overall (sans sauce), this dish was a big hit with the family. The spicy beef, crisp roasted veggies and rice made a nice meal, although a soup and spring roll would have made it perfect!