Shish Kebab with Tahini Sauce

The term "shish kebab" is a Turkish word that means "skewer" or "roast meat." Over the years, it has included roasting veggies to add more flavor and variety to the dish.

In Filipino, food skewered on a stick is generally referred to as "barbecue," but it is usually pork or chicken rather than beef. 

Truth be told, I made this dish because I don't want to waste the tahini we bought  when we made hummus. It went very well with the meat, and made the dish really delish!


What you need:

For the kebab
1 lb sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into squares
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoon + 1/2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the tahini sauce
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
dash of salt
1/4 cup Tahini
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon water


What to do: 

Prepare the dish by combining garlic, lemon juice, 2 tablespoon oil, salt, allspice, cinnamon and pepper in a large ziploc bag. Place the beef and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Mash garlic and salt in a bowl using the back of a spoon until paste forms. Whisk in tahini, lemon juice and water. Refrigerate prior to use.

Preheat grill to high. Remove beef from the bag and discard the marinade. Brush onion wedges and bell pepper pieces with oil. Thread beef slices onto skewers, followed by the veggies. Grill for about 5 minutes, or until desired doneness. Serve with tahini sauce.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks: 

1. Traditional shish kebab has a lot more spices - coriander, paprika, cumin, etc. I just used the ingredients that I thought would suit our taste buds.
2. Make sure the beef cut is tender - chewy meat is not "good eats".
3. Not a fan of tangy sauces? Reduce the amount of lemon juice to half.