Episode 103: Gretchen Grills while Becca Chills

What are we drinking?

Doogh Persian Yogurt Drink - The Delicious Crescent

Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink) - The Delicious Crescent

Cocktail hour - what’s on our minds?  

Kabobs - why skewer your meal?

  • Sticks can be easily found most places and making an open fire is also easy. 

  • Skewers and kebabs are so ubiquitous in the world that it is most likely that it did develop from early days of hunting and gathering and just continually evolved from there.

  • The word Kebab (Kebob) varies depending on where it comes from but actually refers to the cubes of meat, and is applied to LOTS of different dishes including braises and stews, which are pretty much the opposite of grilling. But in my white frame of reference I always consider it to be food on a stick.

Is something just stuck on a skewer but not cooked a kebob? 

  • Gretchen says no. you’re just making food to eat off a stick. Stop with the sandwich kabobs, list i looked at to find out what they considered “unusual” kabobs.

Satay?

  • Just a slightly different skewering application, usually longer and thinner pieces that are threaded on. 

What is happening when you grill your meat vs stovetop 

  • I really tried to wrap my head around the radiant heat VS conduction heat thing but apparently that is not something that is compatible with my brain.

  • OFAC: Grilling and Broiling are the modern, controlled versions of the oldest culinary technique, roasting over and open fire or glowing coals. 

  • The real trick is to get your meat in the perfect position where the millard reaction on the outside happens at the same rate the meat is cooking on the inside. 

  • It is common in restaurants to start something over a grill and finish in the oven - switching the type of heat application slows down the outer browning while allowing the inside to catch up

  • I’VE HAD A FUCKING EPIPHANY!!! The function of oil in cooking is to be a perfectly conformable heat source for even cooking across the surface of the food. 

  • But really only real difference is if you’re using a charcoal or wood fire which will impart a smoky flavor, whereas gas grills, pan searing and frying going to give you a more pure flavor. 

What are the best meats for grilling/kebobing? 

  • Anything of the chop variety - these come from the back of an animal and are more tender so suited to direct heat applications - also have a lot less connective tissue in them which prefers a longer slower cooking application in order to soften (Think Gristle)

  • Pretty much all parts of poultry are good for grilling. Today I’m using chicken thighs

  • Fish - although this is not something I generally cook most types of fish can be used on the grill in the right circumstance. But Avoiding anything that is really thin and delicate is probably a good plan unless rolled or used in some other way. Cut into Tiles and stacked on a skewer could be an answer to that. But I don’t think there were many fish that I’ve worked with that didn’t get grilled at one point or another.

Cooks Illustrated Steak cool pan slow cooking comparison 

  • OFAC supports this method from CI - adding in the warming of the meat prior to cooking as well (I have a text box I can read if we want) PG 156

Recipe Source

Grilled Chicken Kabobs (Joojeh) - The Delicious Crescent

Ingredients 

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into 1½ to 2 inch pieces, see note

½ teaspoon saffron ground and dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water

1 onion large, grated

2 garlic cloves grated

⅓ cup lemon juice or ⅓ cup plain yogurt + 2 tablespoons lemon juice



1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Basting Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

½ tablespoon saffron water remaining from above

½ tablespoon lemon juice optional

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Special Equipment 

Skewers!  G bought some beautiful new GIANT skewers for this recording. They also have a fancy thing to help push the stuff off the end of the skewers!


High Level Steps 

Cut up chicken and marinated for at least 6 hours.

Remove from marinade - thread on skewers.

Grill

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Episode 102: Empanadas

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Episode 104: Three Easy Salad Dressings