GRILLED LEMONGRASS BEEF SKEWERS

Grilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers image

Categories Sauce Beef Side Broil Marinate Lemongrass

Yield makes 24 to 30 skewers, to serve 6 to 8

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

Marinade
1 shallot, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons fine shrimp sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (page 332)
1 1/4 pounds tri-tip or flap steak, well trimmed (about 1 pound after trimming)
1 1/2 cups Spicy Hoisin-Garlic Sauce (page 310)

Steps:

To make the marinade, combine the shallot, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a mortar and pound into a rough paste. (Or, use an electric mini-chopper.) Transfer to a bowl, add the shrimp sauce, fish sauce, oil, lemongrass, and sesame seeds, and stir to mix. Set aside.
If you have time, place the beef in the freezer for about 15 minutes. It will firm up, making it easier to cut. Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips a scant 1/4 inch thick, about 1 inch wide, and 2 to 3 inches long. (You may need to angle the knife to yield strips that are wide enough.)
Add the beef to the marinade and use your fingers to combine, making sure that each strip is coated on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. (For more tender meat, marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to skewering.) Meanwhile, soak 24 to 30 bamboo skewers, each 8 to 10 inches long, in water to cover for at least 45 minutes.
To grill the beef, prepare a medium-low charcoal fire (you can hold your hand over the rack for no more than 5 or 6 seconds) or preheat a gas grill to medium-low. To broil the beef, position a rack about 4 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven for 20 minutes so it is nice and hot.
While the grill or broiler heats, drain the skewers and thread the beef onto them, putting 1 or 2 strips on each skewer. If you are broiling, put the skewers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Place the skewers on the grill rack or slip the baking sheet under the broiler. Grill or broil, turning the skewers once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the beef is browned and a little charred at the edge.
Arrange the skewers on a platter and serve at once with the sauce on the side. Diners can dip the skewers in the sauce or spoon the sauce onto the skewers.