Spiedini

Ingredients: (important to use fresh ingredients where specified)

Prep: 15-20 minutes for marinade

Cook: 10-15 minutes

• 4 lb. Tender leg of lamb and/or pork tenderloin, or venison, or chicken breast – cut up into pieces about 1 1/2 inches

• Good Italian Bread

Makes: marinade for about 4 pounds of meat (6-8 people)

• 1 1/2 c. Olive Oil

• Zest of 1 fresh lemon

• Juice of a Large Fresh Lemon

• 1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste mixed with the lemon juice or vinegar

• 1/3 c. Balsamic Vinegar

• 1/3 c. Dry Red Wine

• 5 Cloves Fresh Garlic

• 2 Tsp. sugar

• 1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

• 1 Tsp. Paprika

• 1 Crushed Large Bay Leaf

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme or Lemon Thyme

• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary – chopped

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Mint – chopped

• 2 Tbsp. Fresh Oregano – chopped

• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Basil – chopped

• 3 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley – chopped

• 2 1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt or more ( make sure to be generous with the salt as it brings out the flavors)

• Plenty of Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions:

1. Meat should be cut and ready before making the marinade.

2. Mix all above marinade ingredients together well. A whisk is a good tool for this. If the marinade sits – re-whisk. Use fresh ingredients where indicated.

3. TASTE the marinade!! Especially taste for salt. Plenty of salt and pepper is important. This brings out the flavor. If you don’t add enough – your spiedies will be bland.

4. Add the marinade to the meat immediately.

5. Mix thoroughly, coating all the meat. Using your clean hands to do this is a good idea.

6. Cover and refrigerate. I recommend marinating overnight or at most one more day. There is great controversy about this. Read the above text for the reason why I choose a shorter time.

7. Stir the meat once during the marinating process.

8. Skewer the meat just before grilling.

9. Place skewers on a VERY hot grill – close cover and SEAR quickly on all sides. Ideally you will have grill marks on the meat.

10. Turn down the heat on the grill or move the skewers to a spot not as hot – use gloves – the skewers will be very hot. Finish the spiedies at a more moderate temperature. They don’t take long.

11. It is not recommended to keep using a marinade that raw meat has been sitting in. Discard the extra when finished.

12. Do not dry them out by over cooking. The cooking process should be fairly quick on a hot grill. Taste one! or two…or…

13. Take them off the skewer with a slice of Italian Bread. Plan on about 4-5 spiedies per slice of bread.