Grilled spiedini – Italian style kebobs
A weekend favorite that will make everyone happy to gather around the dinner table.
Equipment
- cutting board
- wood skewers
- immersion blender and cup
- Grill
- mortar, optional
Ingredients
Ingredients for the aioli
- 1 cup oil I used safflower oil
- 1 egg yolk boiled
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt coarse
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp horseradish creamy
- 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
Ingredients for the kebobs
- 1 lb beef any favorite grilling variety will work
- 4 slices bacon thick slice, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 lb small onions halved or quartered
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 sage bunch
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup wine dry, white (I used Vinho Verde)
- 4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Steps for the aioli
- Gather your ingredients.
- In a small saucepan, boil the egg for about 10 minutes, remove from the heat, cool, peel and separate the yolk; set aside.1 egg yolk
- In a mortar, work the garlic cloves into a paste (may use the blade of a knife or, alternatively, chop the garlic very fine).4 garlic
- Place the fresh egg yollks and garlic paste in an immersion blender cup; blend briefly to combine; add the salt, horseradish, cooked egg yolk, Parmesan cheese and the lemon juice.1 egg yolk, 2 egg yolks, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 garlic, 1 tbsp horseradish, 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Start adding the oil over a continuous and slow drip until incorporated and thickened; place in the refrigerator till ready to serve.1 cup oil
Steps for the kabobs
- Gather your ingredients.
- Prepare the marinade: in a bowl combine the oil, wine, chopped rosemary leaves and garlic clove; place the wooden skewers in a bowl and cover with water; let them sit to soak.1 rosemary, 1/4 cup wine, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 garlic
- Place the meat on a cutting board and cut the meat into cubes, about 1 inch thick; drop the meat chunks in the bowl and let marinade for about 30 minutes or even overnight for extra flavor.1 lb beef
- Meanwhile, wash the peppers, remove the stems, seeds and white veins and cut into 1 inch pieces; peel and cut the onions into half or quarters, if they are bigger; cut the bacon inti 1 inch pieces.1/2 lb small onions, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, 4 slices bacon
- Preheat the rill or start a fire on your wood chip grill, which is today's grilling choice. In italy it's very common to cook on hot ambers.
- Start building the skewers; place one chunk of onion, one piece of meat, a sage leaf, a piece of bacon and a piece of bell pepper and continue on with this pattern. You should have about 4-5 pieces of meat on each skewer. Continue until all the ingredients are evenly arranged on the skewers. Should make about 12 spiedini.1 lb beef, 4 slices bacon, 1/2 lb small onions, 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, 1 sage, salt and pepper
- Just before cooking, season the spiedini with salt and pepper; place them on the grill once the ambers are ready, turning frequently and brushing with any leftover marinade. Cook for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the horseradish aioli and enjoy. Buon appetito
Notes
Spiedini is a classic skewer that is part of the traditional Italian barbeque, where a variety of meat is grilled over hot ambers, and served with a side of polenta, cooked beans, and a salad or cooked vegetables.
This Italian staple is prepared with a multitude of different ingredients, sometimes different meats are used, such as beef and chicken or even sausage. The different meats are then alternated by vegetables and charred over the fire.
The ritual of “cucinare la carne alla brace“, literally cook meat over hot coals, takes place mostly on weekends or on holidays, where the whole family gathers to celebrate and spend time together.
My dad, Carlo, used to cook carne alla brace every Sunday for lunch. He would start by getting some good firewood on the grill and the wait time for the ambers to be ready would usually be spent visiting and having a little aperitivo, called spritz, made with the classic Prosecco, some Aperol liquer, and a slice of orange.
This was family time that happened almost religiously, every Sunday!
Above you can see pictures of the traditional caminetto that my brother uses to grill meat and polenta. The pictures were taken during a trip to Italy in August of 2017. We were all celebrating the Italian holiday known as Ferragosto.
On a different note: the horseradish aioli recipe makes about 10 servings. The serving per person is about 2 tablespoons. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and make an excellent substitution for mayo in sandwiches.Nutrition
Serving: 3spiedini | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 30.2g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Fiber: 1.8g
