Jamaican Beef Skewers

 The sun is out, spring is in the air, and some of us might be digging out our barbecues if there is still any snow blocking them. Mine is accessible most of the time and I do like to barbecue in the winter.  So here is a recipe for you to whip some time this March Break, since the great weather is supposed to continue!

This recipe originally belonged to a cookbook which came with a now dearly departed barbecue.  While I distinctly remember the name of the recipe to be "Jamaican Jerk Beef Skewers", Steve disagrees, as there are lots of Oriental flavours, and I do agree that it does not taste like some Jamaican Jerk flavours I've tried, though it does have some of the key ingredients, like jalapeno, cinnamon and allspice. So I've taken the liberty of renaming this recipe, since I have made it my own, and I don't remember all the original ingredients or their quantities.* Over the years, among friends and family, it has become one of my signature dishes, as well as one of my all-time favourites. It can be made in huge batches for parties, and it is always a crowd-pleaser!!! Since I never worry about strictly measuring ingredient, you shouldn't either, but I will attempt them for you. Fresh ingredients are always key for me, and in this recipe especially so.

Jamaican-Asian Fusion Beef Skewers
(also not my photo, will make this soon)

• 2 lbs. lean steak*, trimmed of fat and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup of hoisin sauce (do NOT use pre-garlicked hoisin sauce, it is yucky, to be technical. Steve brought it home once without knowing any differently, and the result was greatly inferior). 
• 2 T brown sugar (I like dark)
• 2 T Soya Sauce
• 1/4 cup Olive oil (PC EVOO is the best I can get at my store, like a liquid golden-green dream of Italy in a jar)!
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 bunch of green onions
• 1 chunk of fresh ginger (I love ginger, so I leave it up to you, probably at least 2T minced)
• 2 jalapenos, seeded (Even though the seeds would spice them up a bit more, since these are usually made for a crowd, I avoid the heat. For me though, I'd probably double the jalapenos and keep the seeds in too)!
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. allspice
• 1 t.Freshly ground pepper
• 1 t. salt
• Fresh thyme (this is one of the key flavours of this recipe and it is one of my favourite herbs, if not my absolute fave, so I basically strip the thyme stalks until I can't take it anymore, so a nice 2 tablespoons should do, but feel free to add more).

The easiest way to prep these ingredients is to chop the onion, jalapeno, and ginger into big chunks and along with the garlic, whizz them up in the food processor, thereby eliminating lots of tiny mincing and garlic pressing, and jalapeno juice on your hands accidentally getting into your eyes with agonizing results!!! I also feel that this might get a bit of juice out of these ingredients, and enhance the overall flavour.


Combine all of the ingredients together, add the beef strips, mix well, and marinade for as long as you choose**.

Next comes the messy part, but that is part of the fun. Thread the beef strips in a serpentine fashion on your skewers. Soaking wooden skewers first is always recommended, but I never bother because the tips seem to burn no matter how long I soak them for, and I also use metal skewers too. Reserve some marinade for glazing while cooking, but do not serve it uncooked. Cook to your liking, and it may be difficult, but you'll have to share!!! These are also really great leftovers cold, if you actually have any left over.


**If you are more organized than me, then a minimum of twenty-four hours is great, especially if your cut of beef is of the more economical variety. This is a great recipe to use a less expensive steak, especially when you need large quantities, because the longer you marinade it, the more delicious result you will have.  I do choose to buy a better cut of meat when I am just making it for us, but that is optional for sure, because then it is SUPER awesome.  


I have made this recipe about an hour before cooking and while it still tastes good, the longer the marinade time the better!! If you are making these for a large group, then I would marinade them overnight, and then prep them beforehand, since it is time consuming to skewer a lot of meat, but keep them well marinaded until ready to barbecue. The thin strips allow for cooking a lot at a time really quickly,  , which makes them great party fare!